Exit Strategy
by miashay
Summary: Two weeks into the siege at Terminal City, and the time for inspirational speeches has passed. Struggling with leadership, with more enemies than she can count, Max is overwhelmed. And then Sketchy gets a nose bleed. It all goes to hell from there.
1. Mountains and Molehills

Exit Strategy

**Disclaimer: I claim no rights to Dark Angel, or any of the characters you find here. No, not even Alec. **

**Spoilers:** Set two weeks after the events of _Freak Nation, _includes spoilers for the entire series.

_This is my first piece of fanfiction. I figured I'd start with a wee chapter, just to see if it's worth continuing. I'll mostly focus on the feelings or observations of the people in Terminal City. There will be quite a bit of questioning Max's authority, because I always found it hard to believe that lifelong military would follow a deserter. Will try to stay in character, but let me know if I get too OOC. _

**Mountains and Molehills**

Two weeks into the siege at Terminal City, Sketchy got a nosebleed. It was the first in his life not prompted by a fist to the face.

He considered keeping the whole thing to himself. He was, after all, still trying to sweet talk an interview out of some key Manticore alumni. Then he remembered Original Cindy and Logan, and the ass kicking Max would dole out when he tried to explain why he had allowed her best friend and "not like that" boyfriend to remain in harm's way after he knew the toxins that surrounded them had begun to show side effects. No, clamming up here was not an option.

Telling Max, however, was a whole other, equally unappealing, ball of wax. Her already prickly disposition was morphing into something downright unpleasant with the pressures of leadership.

In the wake of the siege at Jam Pony and their decision to stand against the Seattle PD, the citizens of Terminal City were eager for some direction. A few inspiring speeches and a flag raising later, and the swelling masses seemed to be appeased. But as days turned into weeks, the natives were growing more and more restless.

"We may be soldiers," Max had announced, "but we need to prove to them that we're capable of finding a nonviolent solution. We need to _convince_ them there's more to us than what Manticore made us to be."

As expected, that proclamation went over like a lead balloon.

If there was one thing that Sketchy had learned in the short time he'd spent observing transgenics, it was that few of them shared Max's venom for their creators. True, they may not have appreciated the brainwashing, the torture, and the relentless training. But what Manticore had done to them didn't seem to effect how they saw themselves, and Sketchy saw the transgenics as a proud species.

For the most part they seemed to revel in their otherness, the strength and skills built into them at a cellular level. Alec called them "genetically empowered". What he meant to say, and what many transgenics believed, was "better".

Max's growing dissenters didn't feel like they had anything to prove, anyone to convince. There was "us" and there was "them" and, as a qualified member of "them", Sketchy had no desire to go against the will of a population of hard-nosed, well-trained super soldiers.

A couple of sick ordinaries were small potatoes compared to facing down a hostile public, the police and the NSA, not to mention Agent White and his weirdo Breeding Cult.

He also had no desire to go head to head with an irritable and overwhelmed Max, at least not without some proper back up. Decision made, he finished cleaning the blood off his face and headed toward the armory in search of reinforcements.


	2. Loyalty and Obstinance

Exit Strategy

**Disclaimer: I claim no rights to Dark Angel, or any of the characters you find here. No, not even Alec.**

**Spoilers:** Set two weeks after the events of _Freak Nation, _includes spoilers for the entire series.

_This is my first piece of fanfiction. I'll mostly focus on the feelings or observations of the people in Terminal City. There will be quite a bit of questioning Max's authority, because I always found it hard to believe that lifelong military would follow a deserter. Will try to stay in character, but let me know if I get too OOC. _

_**Loyalty and Obstinance**_

Alec was miserable. He was trapped in a toxic waste site trying to pass as a habitable city, with an increasingly cranky population of soldiers in dire need of orders and structure, under the leadership of an idealistic deserter whose battle plans included "waiting it out" and "peaceful protest". The fact that said leader was Max, the closest thing Alec had to family, did little to comfort him.

Alec missed his days as a happy-go-lucky sociopath. He missed scotch and loose women. He missed the freedom to move about the city on his bike- hell, the freedom to _leave_ _the city_ if he wanted to. He even missed Normal. Mostly, he hated the sinking feeling he got every time he looked towards the gates and barricades surrounding Terminal City. He feared that, even with Manticore burnt down to rubble, in the end, he had simply traded one prison for another.

When he wasn't planning supply runs to sustain TC's burgeoning population, or listening to Max's inane strategy sessions, he found himself teetering on the edge of pain and exhaustion. He had gotten so little sleep in the past two weeks that the effects were beginning to show. His arm still ached from the bullet wound he got during the siege at Jam Pony, an injury that should have healed within days.

As it was, Alec's relationship with Max made him her biggest proponent in the eyes of the transgenic populace. And, despite their rocky beginnings, and some rough spots along the way, Alec was loyal to Max. There was no time for weakness, no room for want.

-------------------------------------

He had just finished up his inventory of the armory's weapon stores, Manticore's mantra of "Duty Discipline Mission" playing over and over in his head, when he looked up to see Mole watching him from the doorway. His arms were crossed over his chest, mouth pursed around his cigar, black eyes thoughtful. And if Alec knew anything about Mole, "thoughtful" looks were not likely to end in his favor.

Since he had first wandered into Terminal City in search of Joshua, Alec had started to build a strange sort of friendship with the ornery anomaly. It hadn't taken the pair long to discover their mutual appreciation for big guns, poker and hard liquor. From there, they had developed a strong camaraderie, with a hint of protectiveness for one another. The fact that Alec had managed to make himself yet another friend was a surprise in of itself.

Relationships of any kind had always been hard for him. Back at Manticore, during one of his countless trips to Psy-Ops, someone upstairs had decided that X5-494 would be better off as an independent creature. He would still be social in the most artificial ways, but incapable of sustaining any deeper attachments. X5-493 had deeper attachments, after all, and they only drove him to disobedience and insanity.

Fortunately for Alec, and despite their best efforts, Manticore's reconditioning had proved to be mostly ineffectual. He would always be more independent, and more comfortable on his own, but he still had the ability to form relationships, to care deeply, to be a part of a family.

"Hate to be the one to tell ya, Mole," Alec nodded in the direction of the door, "but you missed the big show. All your babies are present and accounted for."

He lifted his eyes to Mole's face, fought to keep the fatigue from showing on his own.

"That so?" Mole's eyes remained dangerously thoughtful, taking in Alec's somewhat disheveled form.

"Mind if I take a look at that?" he asked, gesturing towards the paper in Alec's hand.

Alec nodded slowly, then stood from the bench he'd been working at. The act of rising brought a rush of blood to his head, causing him to stumble slightly. It was barely a movement, but more than enough for the transgenic eyes currently locked on him from across the room.

Nonetheless, he was still determined to make a quick get away. Alec steadied himself and made his way to Mole and shoved the paper into his waiting hand. He then tried to maneuver around the stubborn form now completely blocking the doorway. Mole scoffed lightly, putting a hand to Alec's chest.

"Hold up there Princess. When was the last time you slept?"

Surprise lit Alec's eyes for a moment, quickly chased away by stubborn determination.

"Come on, Mole. We're in the middle of a siege! There's no time for beauty rest."

"Can it, Pretty Boy. You can feed lines to Miss High and Mighty till you're blue in the face, but I ain't buyin' it."

"Mole…"

Alec cut off his cajoling when Mole spat out his cigar on the floor of the armory, took a step forward and straightened his spine. It was funny to Alec how easy it was for him to forget he was dealing with a giant lizard man, until Mole was literally looming over him.

"I said, can it! If you aren't getting sleep…" Mole trailed off and backed off a step, mouth working in the place where the cigar was moments earlier. When he spoke again, his voice was markedly subdued.

"You have another seizure, boy?"

Alec paused a moment to bite the inside of his cheek, contemplating the wisdom of a lie.

When creating the X5s, Manticore had unwittingly given them two dueling instincts, those of a soldier, and those of a transgenic. The solider understood the importance of full disclosure, of every injury, every deficit. There was pride there, too, but no amount of pride more important than the health and ability of the unit as a whole.

As for the transgenic, pride was its driving force. The X5s were built to be stronger, smarter, faster. They were built to be better. The admission of weakest was an admission of inferiority. Inferiority at Manticore meant termination.

Alec was still pondering the limits of full disclosure when he felt Mole step back into his space. Apparently, his silence was all Mole needed to come to a decision. Before Alec had a chance to speak again, he felt a small prick on the inside of his elbow. The next moment, he was falling to the floor, a voice (Mole's) mumbling in his ear.

"…damn X5s….mule in your cocktail…stubborn son of a bitch."

And then everything was black.


	3. Convergence

Exit Strategy

**Disclaimer: I claim no rights to Dark Angel, or any of the characters you find here. No, not even Alec.**

**Spoilers:** Set two weeks after the events of _Freak Nation, _includes spoilers for the entire series.

_Convergence_

While he was certainly grateful for the strength and mobility his exoskeleton provided, the sound of its heels scraping across the hard cement floors that dominated Terminal City was a noise that Logan could happily live without. It was a harsh and abrasive sound that both annoyed him, and made it virtually impossible for him to sneak past anyone, transgenic hearing or no. So when he came upon Luke, whispering softly to himself and pacing outside the armory, he had no choice but to announce his presence, before his metal monstrosity did it for him.

What he was not expecting was to run headlong into Sketchy, who had come jogging down the corridor from the opposite direction. The noise of their impact startled Luke out of his mutterings.

"You shouldn't be here right now, it's not a good time." Luke looked from Logan to Sketchy and back again, with large, anxious eyes. Even as he spoke, the armory door swung open. The sight that greeted the three men left them all gaping.

Mole was standing in the doorway, his favorite sawed-off shotgun resting against one shoulder, and Alec's unconscious body draped across the other.

"Don't mind me fellas," Mole said, smirking, "just pickin' up a few things."

Logan forcibly pushed aside his shock, and stepped forward to try and get a better look at Alec's face. The transgenic looked pale and very still splayed across Mole's back, with the exception of his limp arms, which swayed slightly as Mole adjusted his weight.

Since the hostage situation at Jam Pony, Logan had been spending a considerable amount of time observing Alec, starting at the van ride back to Terminal City.

He knew that Alec had been shot when the siege began, before Max had even gotten there. He had seen Dalton hovering by Alec's side, making furtive glances to his bandaged arm. He also knew that, during the fight with Ames White and his Familiars, Alec been beaten badly enough to need Logan to save him. Yet as they drove through the barricades, with the Seattle PD racing behind them, Alec had joked goodheartedly about his injuries. On closer inspection, Logan had been able to see the small winces he gave as they barreled along, and the helping hand Joshua had given so that he could step down from the van.

Max, Logan noticed, had offered Alec no help, and no comfort. In fact, she hadn't seemed to notice him at all.

While a small part of Logan had cringed at her indifference, a larger part, the part that loved Max and hurt when seeing her with another man, rejoiced. By the time Joshua's flag had risen over Terminal City, Logan knew all about Max's plan to keep him safe, and Alec's reluctant participation.

"He told me that he didn't want you to think he was the kind of guy that would steal another guy's girl," she had told him, "Can you imagine? Alec caring what you think?"

But later that same evening, presumably after Max had told him the charade was over, Alec had come to Logan to apologize. Behind his layers of sarcasm and innuendo, Logan had detected sincerity. Quite suddenly he had felt a surge of guilt, for Alec being pulled into their problems to begin with.

He remembered his face then, warm and uncertain, asking Logan for forgiveness for some imagined crimes. He remembered the way he held his arm close to his body, the way he occasionally brushed a casual hand across his forehead, easing away faint lines of pain.

Looking at his lifeless body now, Logan could see that the pain hadn't eased in the time since then. He looked small and exhausted, and very, very young.

"Don't know why you look so surprised, Luke," Mole's voice snapped Logan out of his reverie, "You're the one that gave me the drugs to knock him out."

"Dude, you drugged Alec?" Sketchy shook his head, still gaping at the two anomalies, "He is _not_ gonna like that."

"Don't give a damn whether he likes it or not," Mole replied, shrugging his free shoulder.

"But why are you knocking him out in the first place?" Sketchy asked, as if the answer wasn't three feet in front of them.

"Pretty boy here thought the best way to serve his fellow transgenics was to run himself into the ground. We took a little poll around Command, decided we prefer him arrogant and fully operational. As you can imagine," Mole gestured towards Alec's latent form, "he needed some convincing."

"Looks like." Logan finally spoke, giving a nod of approval in Mole's direction while keeping his eyes on Alec.

A curious look swept Mole's features then, as the lizard man once again adjusted Alec's weight, and started off down the corridor in the direction of their temporary medical ward. The three men followed after, Luke in the front grasping for Alec's dangling wrist, in an attempt to check his pulse.

It wasn't until they had reached medical, Mole swinging Alec down off his back and onto a makeshift gurney, that Logan spoke again.

"Does Max know about this?"

The mention of Max's name prompted three very different reactions. Luke blanched and hurried off to collect the necessary supplies to tend to his patient, Sketchy coughed awkwardly and started looking guiltily to all corners of the room, and Mole growled softly while placing a protective hand over the same shoulder where Alec had been shot.

"452," Mole spat Max's serial numbers out like so much offal, "is more concerned with playing patty cake with ordinaries than taking care of her second."

The anger in Mole's voice was unmistakable, and Logan wondered just what Max had done to earn the man's ire. He had spent enough time with her in the past few weeks to see what she was up against. With enemies coming from every direction, and a perpetual grocery list of all the things necessary to provide for Terminal City's residents, some things were bound to fall to the wayside.

Despite her attitude towards him, Logan knew that Max considered Alec family now. And, as Mole had said, he was widely considered to be her second in command. If his health and wellness had been sacrificed in favor of bigger concerns, what other concessions had Max made? And how had that affected the other transgenics, and their opinion of their leader?

"Does she know?" he asked again, raising his hand to halt Mole's protest, "Does she know that Alec's ill?"

As if on command, Alec began to quake lightly, hundreds of small tremors vibrating his body. His eyes were still shut, but his teeth were chattering as if from the cold.

"Son of bitch! Luke, get back in here!" Mole yelled over the gurney. His hands were ghosting over Alec's limbs, as if afraid to touch him in this state. Though Logan had seen Max during a seizure before, his experience didn't make the current situation any less terrifying.

"Oh, shit."

Logan turned to Sketchy, who was beside him, leaning all his weight against the gurney. There were drops of blood gathering in the space between his spread palms.

"Sketchy, man," Logan reached for his shoulder, turning Sketchy to face him, "where is that coming from?"

"I was kind of hoping to talk to Alec about this," he answered, looking at a shocked Logan and Mole through a face full of blood, with Alec seizing between them.

_So obviously the chapters are getting longer, and may or may not continue to do so. I would really like to hear what you guys think. While I have a pretty clear idea where the story is going, I am writing each chapter as I post. If you have any ideas or suggestions, feel free to let me know. I can't promise I'll use them, but I adore feedback in any case._


	4. Lost Boys

Exit Strategy

**Disclaimer: I claim no rights to Dark Angel, or any of the characters you find here. No, not even Alec.**

**Spoilers:** Set two weeks after the events of _Freak Nation, _includes spoilers for the entire series.

_Before we begin, a quick thank you to b l a c k r o s e 9 for pointing out my mistake in Max's serial number. I feel like a terrible fan for not noticing._

_452max, while I haven't decided for certain, I would not expect to find Max/Alec here. Frankly, though I've read some excellent stories with the two of them together, I'm not a fan of the pairing._

_Thank you for all the kind comments. Please, keep them coming! _

_Lost Boys_

He still dreams of Rachel, from time to time. He dreams of her eyes and her smile. He dreams of wading towards her in a vast pool, but she is always just out of reach. Sometimes he gives up, stops moving forward and watches her fade away into the ether. Other times he struggles and fights against the current as it grows stronger and stronger until, finally, the water rises up around him, and every direction is a deep, endless blue.

Most of the time he dreams of her unconscious body on the pavement, her father by her side. His hand is always on the detonator, his face placid. In those moments, safe in sleep, he never loved her, never mourned her. In those moments, he is everything that Manticore ever wanted him to be.

----------------------------------

Forty-five minutes had passed before the seizure ran its course. Alec was still unconscious with Mole by his side, a new unlit cigar clenched between his teeth. Blood had smeared across the gurney, and soaked through the white of Alec's t-shirt in small blotches along his side.

There had been no time to clean it before the convulsions grew stronger, before Alec's jerking body had soaked through the mess. Mole had done his best to avoid those splashes of red. It always seemed to take him a moment to remember it wasn't Alec's blood he was looking at. Surprisingly, the fact that it was Sketchy's blood, instead, gave him no consolation.

----------------------------------

"How are you feeling now? Any dizziness, double vision, loss of balance…"

"Luke, man, I dig the concern, but I had a nosebleed. The Sketchmeister _will_ ride again."

Sketchy tried to keep his tone playful, tried to ignore the blood drying in a carnation down the front of his shirt. It was important he remain calm and collected, regardless of how badly he wanted to ask for a change of clothes.

"This was more than a nosebleed," Logan interjected, as if Sketchy needed a reminder, "and we need to know everything about it, and any other symptoms you've been having."

"I'm telling you, there was one before this, that's all. I get that you're a little anxious, man, but I gotta think, right now, we have bigger fish to fry."

Sketchy gestured to the partition separating them from Alec, who was still unconscious. While it was no lie to say he was worried about his friend, Sketchy was glad for the useful distraction from his own condition. The truth of the matter was, after this most recent nosebleed, so close on the heels of the last, he had moved from slightly concerned to downright terrified.

It's not that feeling terrified was a new sensation for Sketchy. In the time since the transgenics had been released from Manticore, he had been questioned by the NSA, knocked unconscious in the sewers in the middle of a manhunt, and caught in a hostage crisis. The only difference between then and now was, then, Sketchy had been able to see through the terror to ask questions and remain curious about what was happening around him. Now, he only feared the answers those questions would bring.

----------------------------------

For the first time in his short life, Dalton found himself cursing his cat DNA. Either that, or whatever curious part of him that had urged him to seek out Alec when he didn't show up at command after his inventory of the armory. Somehow, his stupid, curious cat feet had found their way to the infirmary, had found their way to Alec.

Now, the young X5 was being forced to see his idol laid out prostrate on a blood-speckled gurney, with only Mole to keep him company. Not that Mole wasn't good company, but Mole wasn't him, or Joshua, or…

"Max!" the name sprung involuntarily through Dalton's lips, interrupting Mole's silent vigil, and causing the partition to the right of the gurney to be pulled aside, revealing a surprised Luke, Logan and Sketchy.

Dalton took a moment to process this new information before he spoke again.

"Max, does she know? That Alec's out? She needs to know. Is he okay? Was it another seizure?"

He looked from face to face; saw Luke and Mole blanch, Logan mouth "another" while shaking his head sadly. Only Sketchy looked untroubled, but then, Sketchy was covered in blood.

"No worries dude, we're keeping a close eye on him."

"It was a seizure, yes _another_," Mole interrupted, throwing a look in Logan's direction, "but we've got a handle on it."

"We brought him here for rest, and to try and determine what was causing them. Max doesn't need to know." Luke looked to Dalton beseechingly, until Logan cleared his throat.

"Didn't. Max didn't need to know. Now…"

As he spoke, Logan gestured to Sketchy's, then Alec's shirt. Once again, Dalton was lost.

"So, what's with the blood? If Alec only had a seizure, why is he bleeding? How did his blood get on Sketchy? What the hell is going on?"

The three men seemed to deflate all together. With a heavy hand, Mole waved him to an empty chair.

"Okay, kid, so here's what happened…"

----------------------------------

While Mole explained to Dalton the events of that morning, Logan decided it was high time he spoke with Luke about Alec's condition. Circumstances being what they were in Terminal City, there was no more room for secrets. The seizure that Logan had witnessed earlier was terrifying enough, and that had been in the presence of two people who knew, or at least expected, it to happen. The thought of Alec, or any of the other transgenics (Max, God, if it had been Max!) collapsing like that, without anyone nearby to help them was unacceptable.

"It started a few days after Jam Pony."

Logan started, surprised for the nth time today. Apparently, Luke was ready to start talking.

"He took his tryptophan, and it went away. He probably never would have told anyone if Dalton hadn't found him the next time."

"The next time? Exactly how many seizures are we talking about here?"

Luke broke eye contact to glance in Alec's direction.

"Seven. Seven seizures counting the one today."

Seven seizures in two weeks, that's one seizure every two days.

"Have they all been like that?" Logan asked, his practicality temporarily outweighing his horror.

"That long or that violent? Cause that's the longest one I know about but, the fourth one he had, he knocked Dalton out cold, and almost broke his own wrist."

Logan remembered seeing Dalton wandering around command with a bump on his head and a black eye, some excuse about sparring that got out of hand. In reality, Alec had been having frequent, violent seizures, seizures that at least three other transgenics had known about. Neither Max, nor Logan himself, had had a clue. And Sketchy, he was certainly reacting to the toxic waste that surrounded them, and it was only a matter of time before Logan and Original Cindy began to display symptoms.

For the first time in a long time, Logan was completely lost.

_So, I know that the plot is moving a little slowly. Just hang in there. And yes, Max is on her way, along with Original Cindy and Joshua and the kitchen sink. _


	5. Versatility

Exit Strategy

**Disclaimer: I claim no rights to Dark Angel, or any of the characters you find here. No, not even Alec.**

**Spoilers:** Set two weeks after the events of _Freak Nation, _includes spoilers for the entire series.

_Sorry for the delay, got carried away with work. Thank you again for the comments, they help to keep me motivated._

_Versatility_

All told, it seemed Logan, Sketchy, Original Cindy and Max were the only ones in Terminal City who hadn't picked up on Alec's illness. Even Joshua had known. And it was not, Luke assured him, due to the infamous TC Gossip Mill. Rather, the transgenics had recognized symptoms and side effects they either had experienced or witnessed firsthand. From there it was simply a matter of adding up the evidence, and drawing their own conclusions.

As far as explanations went, it wasn't a bad one. The only ones who hadn't picked up on it were human; well, human and Max. And that went a long way in explaining some of Mole's animosity towards their leader.

It wasn't just about Max neglecting Alec and his growing infirmity. It was about Max remaining ignorant of a condition that she, herself, had suffered from in the past, when even the youngest transgenic among them had managed to make a diagnosis. That, even as it was tearing apart one the people closest to her, Max was so divorced from her transgenic nature, that she hadn't recognized it.

When Logan asked why no one had come out and told Max, as Alec's health continued to decline, Mole's twofold reply was more disconcerting than anything Logan had heard before.

"The boy begged us not to tell, said he could still get the job done. 'Sides, we take care of our own here. What would girly have done that we couldn't do without her?"

----------------------------------

Life after the Pulse had never been sunshine and roses for Original Cindy. It seemed to be one struggle after another, the struggle for food, for a warm bed, a good job, or a good woman. Still, if there was one talent Original Cindy prided herself in, it was her ability to make the best of a bad situation.

Maybe she had spent her days biking the streets of Seattle, but she spent her nights hanging at Crash, and entertaining every fine sister that crossed her path. Sure, she had lived in an abandoned apartment building, where the only way to get a hot bath was to boil the water herself, but she got to live there with Max, her sister, the closest thing to family she had left.

Living at Terminal City, Cindy had traded her job at Jam Pony, for helping Gem to organize the mess, and settle in with her new baby. At night, she bunked down in a small cot at Joshua's place, an office space he was slowly converting to a livable apartment. Bath water, hot or otherwise, had been replaced with freezing cold chemical showers, which scientists had once used to decontaminate themselves from the toxins Cindy spent all day breathing in.

She rarely saw Max, never saw Alec, Sketchy spent his days lobbying for interviews, Logan with Dix in Command doing God knows what. Most of her time she spent with Gem, Joshua and Dalton, who had spent the last week or so disappearing at odd intervals, only to come back looking shaken and upset. Neither Gem nor Joshua seemed to find this strange, and never questioned him afterwards.

Something was happening at Terminal City, something important and, for the life of her, Original Cindy couldn't figure it out. She had finally decided to get to the bottom of it, and had spent the entire morning in search of Sketchy and Logan, thinking they'd be the most comfortable talking with her. As the day wore on, she slowly realized there were a lot of people missing this morning; Luke, Mole and Dalton, that she could tell. She had started asking around, but each person she spoke with had managed to evade her questioning.

Finally, around lunchtime, Max strode into command. If there was one person Original Cindy could get some truth out of it, it was Max.

----------------------------------

"Hey! Max!" Cindy raised her hand in greeting, while taking in the sight of her friend from across the room. "You got a minute for Original Cindy?"

Max looked tired and frustrated, a common look for her these days. Nonetheless, she waved Cindy in the direction of her office, a small room the size of a large closest that jutted off to the side of the main area. Once the door had been shut, the both of them carefully ensconced inside and seated, Cindy faced Max and gave her an encouraging nod.

"I just got back from a meeting with Clemente. Apparently, there's some footage making its rounds that proves "transgenics will steal whatever supplies they deem necessary, rather than accept the help of the mayor's office and National Guard to come to a mutual, peaceable solution"."

Max shook her head in exasperation, her hands slowly folding into fists.

"Like it's not hard enough trying to negotiate with a bunch of bigoted, power-hungry politicians, I have to worry about our supposedly "covert" supply runs grabbing headlines!"

Original Cindy watched as her friend's frustration continued to climb. If she didn't nip this in the bud, she'd never get a word in.

"Back up, boo. I thought that Clemente was on the up and up, that the two of you had some kind of agreement?"

For a moment, Max's anger seemed to deflate. When she spoke again, her voice was calmer, more subdued.

"He's doing what he can. The more he helps us, the more he gets branded a sympathizer, the less his superiors trust him to be objective…"

"And the less he can do to help you in the end. Original Cindy follows your meaning."

"Of course, we wouldn't be having this problem if Alec's team hadn't been caught on tape."

"Alec?"

"Yes, Alec! He may have been a Manticore assassin, but he obviously needs brushing up on his skills at evasion."

Unfortunately for Cindy, her attempt to derail the conversation hadn't worked. Max, it seemed, was just getting warmed up.

"Two weeks I've been trusting him to organize the supply runs, you figure he'd at least take some precautions. He knows we can't be caught doing anything illegal right now, he knows! But Alec does what Alec wants, how Alec wants, never mind the safety of the city, oh no!"

Max was pacing furiously now from one end of the small room to the other. Cindy remained seated, occasionally nodding in agreement.

It wasn't that she believed what Max was saying. While she hadn't seen much of Alec since the siege began, the few times she had, he had looked as exhausted as Max. Cindy knew that he cared, that he was in for the long haul, and that he would never be reckless in what he considered his duties.

For Max, though, Alec was the perfect patsy. The emotions within Terminal City were reaching a fever pitch, and Alec could be the outlet for all her frustrations. From where Cindy stood, it was the best stress relief Max had come across. As for Alec, the anger and insults just rolled off him like water off a duck's back.

"…and he keeps disappearing, no warning, no explanation…"

Cindy's head turned so fast, she felt something snap in her neck.

"Hold up, there, boo. You said Alec's been disappearing for no reason?"

"Yeah, OC, what about it? It's just another example of what an irresponsible, selfish, free loading…"

"It's not that," Max's rant was interrupted again, this time by Logan standing in the doorway, "and he's not any of those things."

"What's…" Max for once was without words. Cindy just stared expectantly.

"Alec is sick. He may be dying. And Sketchy," Logan looked to Cindy, then back to Max, "he may be dying, too."


	6. Square One

Exit Strategy

**Disclaimer: I claim no rights to Dark Angel, or any of the characters you find here. No, not even Alec.**

**Spoilers:** Set two weeks after the events of _Freak Nation, _includes spoilers for the entire series.

_Square One_

Max was swaying. Though her feet were firmly planted on the ground, her body moved dangerously from side-to-side. She recognized Logan and Original Cindy's raised voices. She caught snippets of their conversation, which consisted of OC chastising Logan for his unnecessary bluntness, while Logan struggled to explain himself. Max, though, Max stood and swayed.

Alec and Sketchy, dying. That was what Logan had said. But what did that mean? He had said that Alec was sick, but transgenics didn't get sick, at least not from Max's experience. And what about Sketchy? Did he suffer from the same illness as Alec, or something else altogether? She knew that she needed more information, before she succumbed to this blind panic that threatened to overwhelm her, but her mind was stuck on two revolving faces.

She thought of Sketchy, who'd been hounding her for an interview since he had discovered her transgenic nature. She'd taken to purposefully avoiding him around Terminal City, so tired she'd grown of his begging.

But he had stood with her alongside all the transgenics against the Seattle PD. He had accepted her with only Original Cindy's endorsement, despite news reports and popular opinion believing the transgenics dangerous and unstable. Faults and foibles aside, Sketchy had always been a good friend to Max.

She remembered the last time she had spoke with Alec, earlier in the morning before she had gone to meet with Clemente. She remembered his face, how he had refused to make eye contact over his inventory sheet and sat straight as a board, as if at attention. At the time she had thought him rude and dismissive, his posture an unpleasant reminder of Manticore. In retrospect, he faced seemed tired and drawn. The tightening of his limbs, though, reminded her of something else.

"He's had a seizure, hasn't he? Alec?"

Even as she spoke the words she knew she was right, about this at least. Logan turned from OC to her, nodding all the while.

"More than one, actually. It's been going on for sometime. He's had a few people"-Logan winced as he said this-"looking after him, Mole and Luke included. They decided this morning that he needed some rest, so they dosed him with something to help him sleep. He was out for about fifteen minutes when he started seizing. He hasn't woken since."

"Sometime? What do you mean, sometime?"

"Max, Alec has been having seizures since he was shot at Jam Pony. Seven altogether. That they know of, at least."

For a brief moment the panic, which had receded slightly while her and Logan spoke, came barreling back into her. Logan was right, seven seizures in such a short time span meant bad things for Alec. The idea alone made her sick to her stomach.

Desperate to lose herself in another train of thought, she changed the subject. She deliberately made her voice as calm and cool as possible; hoping to reflect the words she had beating a tattoo on the inside of her skull: _I will not panic, I will not panic._

"And what about Sketchy? It's not like seizures are contagious. What's his dealio?"

Logan gave her a strange look, but answered her all the same.

"Sketchy woke up this morning with a nosebleed. He's had another in the time since then. We think…"

"You think it's the toxins," OC cut him off abruptly, her mouth a thin line, "you think that Terminal City, that being here, you think its starting to kill us."

Logan stopped to face them both, and Max was surprised to find they were standing in front of the infirmary. She hadn't even realized they were walking.

"We think it's time for the three of us to leave Terminal City. It may no longer be safe."

"It was never safe, not for us," Sketchy had appeared at the doors to the infirmary, looking relatively well, if you ignored his blood-covered shirt. He turned to speak to Logan directly.

"He's awake."

----------------------------------

Once inside the infirmary, Max began glancing around curiously. While she knew that Luke and Alec had been organizing a medical ward, she hadn't had the time to come out and see their progress.

It was a large, serviceable room, not yet completed, but easily one of the cleanest areas in Terminal City. There were two rows of makeshift gurneys, each separated on both sides by moveable partitions. There didn't seem to be a lot of medical equipment around. But Max knew that, whatever they needed, it was only a matter of time before Alec would procure it. By any means necessary, of course.

One of the gurneys was surrounded on all sides. The shadows that were visible through the shades did not betray the people behind them, but their voices, raised to varying degrees, carried out over the screens to echo off the walls of the infirmary.

"You've been out for five hours!"

"I was out because you drugged me!"

"You need your rest until we figure out what's causing this."

"That's easy- it's Manticore! You know, crazy government scientists? Spent a majority of our lifetimes as their personal lab rats? Too bad for me THEY NO LONGER EXIST!"

"There are still Manticore scientists out there. We could just…"

"Track them down and invite them to our toxic waste dump for tea? And tell them, what?"

"Well…"

"You know those genetically engineered killing machines you help create? Well one of them's got the shakes."

"Alec, stop."

"We'd find a way to get them to talk, you can bet your pretty Princess ass!"

"How about a quick cure, for old times sake?"

"If you would stop flapping your damn jaw..."

"You're being very immature about this."

"You're being naïve!"

"Now listen here…"

"ENOUGH!"

Max strode toward the nearest partition and pushed it aside. She found Alec and Mole standing face-to-face, with Luke sitting in a nearby chair, both hands wrapped around its arms in a death grip. Mole had his arm extended, cigar in hand; he had obviously been using it to accentuate his points. Alec had one hand resting on the gurney in front of him, a hand that looked casual, but Max could see it was helping to support his weight.

She observed every part of him, looking for some clue she had missed in guessing his condition. His face _was_ tired, the kind of tired that took some time to show on a transgenic. His skin was covered in a light sheen of sweat and his eyes, no longer avoiding contact, were fever bright. As she looked her fill, his mouth slowly drew itself up into a snarl.

"Well boys, it looks like the jig is up!"

His voice was a sharp contrast to look on his face. He sounded as if nothing was wrong with him at all. Max watched mesmerized as his body quickly shifted to his normal stance, as all signs of pain and sickness melted from his features, leaving only the Alec she had grown accustomed to behind.

"Don't worry, Maxie, just our friendly neighborhood seizure disorder." He laughed, actually laughed, between his words, "Mole and Luke here just get a little excitable."

Max looked to Mole and Luke now, Luke was simply slack jawed at this sudden change, but Mole looked murderous. Alec ignored them both and continued talking to Max.

"I take it you heard about Sketchy? Well, we knew this day was coming." He turned to Logan, Sketchy and OC, who looked as confused as Max felt. "You three wanna pack up, Mole and I here will work on your big exit."

Alec finished speaking, and began looking at the room's occupants expectantly. Logan was the first to move.

"We'll pack, Alec, but these seizures…"

"Are under control. I appreciate the concern, Log-boy, but we have bigger problems."

"Bigger problems?" Mole's voice rose with his anger, "Bigger problems! Are you out of your gourd! Past two weeks, you've spent more time shivering on your back than you have sleeping!"

"Alec, Mole's right," Luke finally spoke up, "you're the Second in Command here. If you go down…"

"No one's going down here. I'm not saying we ignore it." Alec turned to face Mole completely. "We get out the ordinaries, and then we can worry about me."

Max could see that Alec had made his decision, and he was nothing if not stubborn. In the face of her neglect, though, she couldn't let Alec take point on this. Not with him so ill, and Logan, OC and Sketchy at risk.

"Fine. We'll concentrate on the extraction. In the meantime, I want you here with Luke, resting."

Alec's face slowly turned to Max, his expression so severe she started. The man facing her now, she imagined, was the same man who faced down his superiors at Manticore.

_No_, she mentally corrected, _if Alec had looked at his superiors like this, he never would have left Psy Ops. _

Then he spoke, and it wasn't so much his tone that surprised her, but his words.

"Know it must hard to trust your boyfriend to a defect, Max, but I've still got something you don't."

"And what's that?"

"I've got a way out."

_So, I've got myself in a bit of a pickle. When I started this story, I knew where I wanted to go. As I write, though, I feel like I'm getting pulled in another direction. How do you guys feel about what you've read so far? Any suggestions? I just need to decide where we're gonna end up._

_Thanks again for the reviews. I'm still amazed people are actually reading this. _


	7. Prisms and Plans

Exit Strategy

**Disclaimer: I claim no rights to Dark Angel, or any of the characters you find here. No, not even Alec.**

**Spoilers:** Set two weeks after the events of _Freak Nation, _includes spoilers for the entire series.

_Prisms and Plans_

Since he first learned he was an artist, Joshua began to see the world and its people in terms of color, as brush strokes that have not yet been laid to canvas. He would picture them all in his mind's eye, imagine them as bold interpretations across the page. His painting and his art are these visions come to life, visible now to any observer. They are his heart laid bare, small pieces of his experiences and personal revelations given form.

Joshua rarely paints anymore. Supplies are hard enough to come by in the middle of a siege, and baby formula and tryptophan take precedent over art materials. Still, every few days, he'll find some tubes of paint or new brushes waiting for him in the small apartment he shares with Original Cindy. Joshua paints Alec now with bold strokes of scarlet red and green.

"Like Christmas?" Alec had once asked, head tilted and eyes squinting as he searched for his likeness in the canvas. "The ordinaries use them for Christmas, holidays."

Joshua had only shaken his head.

"No," he pointed to the bright splashes of red, "like Alec," he traced the deep forest green that threaded through, "like family."

Alec had to turn his face away then.

Joshua knew that Alec was remembering Annie's green eyes as she traced the outlines of his face. That, and the dozens of paintings Joshua had created in the time before her death, before his sorrow had changed her color to a bright cerulean blue, like her tenderness and her kindness, released into the sky.

Joshua was remembering the heavy slabs of black that had littered Alec's own grief, the anger and confusion that had nearly overwhelmed him. Now Joshua sees Alec as he works for his people, as he fights to be free. Yes, Alec is red and green.

Max is saffron yellow, like warmth and home. Max was Joshua's first home after leaving Manticore, the first to love and accept him, since father left and Isaac became consumed in his heartache. She too is threaded with shades of green, but the darkness that once flooded Alec has crept its way onto Max's image. It is the mantle of her leadership, drenched in fear and self-doubt. With each day the darkness grows, and Joshua searches for a way to help ease her burden.

When the siege began, Max had decisions to make. Joshua saw this, saw as she committed to securing their freedom, and left the day-to-day care of the city to Alec and Mole. Even now she spends her days juggling the police and the military, not down in the trenches, where strangers become comrades.

All the rest of her time is spent piecing together the mysteries father left behind, and his strange connection to White and the familiars. So much time she spends behind closed doors, the people do not see her passion and her labor. What they see is her frustration and detachment. The yellow becomes more and more distant, only visible now to those who care to see it.

Logan is always a blinding white, stalwart and true. Though he lives in a world of color, he doesn't try to absorb the brightness that surrounds him. He is content to reflect the facets of color that touch him, to present them to the world in a dizzying array of light. Original Cindy is a Tyrian purple. It is her strength and countenance, and the perfect complement to Max's yellow.

Joshua was just deciding on Gem's color (an emerald green that is tenacity and motherhood), when Dalton (a brilliant and faithful vermilion) came running into the mess hall where they were working. He was not out of breath, but still wore a strained expression.

"Alec's awake."

Both Joshua and Gem cocked their heads at the young transgenic, and Gem lifted a questioning eyebrow at this strange proclamation.

"It's mid-afternoon Dalton, I should hope that he's awake."

"You didn't know? I thought everyone knew?"

"Knew what? Was Alec not awake before?" Joshua asked, concern coloring his voice. Dalton took a deep gulp of air before he spoke again, undoubtedly hoping to tell the whole story in one breath.

"Mole and Luke decided to drug him to sleep this morning at the armory, cause they were hoping to stop the seizures, and then he had another seizure and it was a bad one, and he wouldn't wake up, and they didn't know if it was from the drugs or the seizures, and then he did wake up, but he told us not to worry about him, that we needed to get the ordinaries out of the city, and he said he would talk to Max, but that I had to run as fast as I could and bring Joshua to the infirmary, and he said something about 'Operation Doggy Door', but I don't know what that means, but I know that you need to come with me now…"

"Wait," Gem interrupted, waving her hand to gain Dalton's attention, as his frantic face had been fixed on Joshua since the mid-point of his speech, "why do we need to worry about the ordinaries?"

The question only seemed to irritate Dalton, who by this point was bouncing on the balls of his feet.

"Why do you think? We might as well be living in the middle of a biochemical spill."

"Sketchy and Logan and Original Cindy are sick? And Alec is shaking again? And Max is with Alec?"

Dalton turned his eyes back to Joshua, and exhaled deeply.

"Yes."

"If medium fella needs Joshua's help, then Joshua will come."

------------------------------------------

Gem quickly bent to retrieve a sleeping Eve from her bassinet, which Luke and Dix had fashioned for her out of assorted scraps they had found in the abandoned city. Once the baby was resting in the cradle of her arms, she took off down the hallway after Joshua and Dalton. If they were planning on smuggling out the ordinaries, she was going to help.

Since Eve's birth, Gem had struggled to find a way to be useful around Terminal City. While she loved her child, and was thankful for the help and support of her fellow transgenics, Manticore had not bred their creations for parenthood. Despite her devotion to her daughter, Gem she was just as much as soldier as a mother.

She began begging Mole for an assignment, eager from some direction and purpose aside from changing diapers. Partway into the first week he caved, and partnered her with Original Cindy to help put together a mess hall. Joshua and Dalton soon joined them, though Gem suspected they were more interested in playing with Eve than organizing rations.

It wasn't far into the siege that Gem began to notice tension, particularly at Command. Max was so busy keeping the military from blowing them all to kingdom come, she didn't seem to realize the dissension growing within her ranks. When Gem discovered that Alec was having violent seizures, a fact that Max remained ignorant of, she watched the discord grow. The pair's verbal sparring didn't help matters; their exchanges were always thick with sarcasm, and a lot of condescension on Max's part.

Gem had seen them at Jam Pony, she knew that they trusted each other, and were capable of working together in a crisis. Many of the other transgenics, however, saw an absentee leader who constantly disrespected her second. Since Alec, being Alec, had managed to secure the goodwill of most of TC's residents, this only made them resent Max's position and attitude.

Gem, herself, believed that the majority of their displeasure stemmed from the fact that Max was an '09er, a deserter. She had abandoned them once, who was to say she wouldn't again?

------------------------------------------

The group was halfway to the infirmary when they found Alec and Max heading towards them, with Luke and Mole trailing behind. Joshua reached them first, both of his large hands grasping Alec's arms, as if he was checking for damages.

"Medium fella okay now? Dalton told Gem and Joshua that Alec was asleep, had another seizure. Is Alec okay now?" He repeated his first question, pulling Alec into a hug.

"Yeah Josh, I'm okay," Alec pulled away from Joshua slightly, but kept a reassuring smile on his face, "Did Dalton tell you why I need you?"

Gem looked between the two friends, trying to decipher just what they were thinking. From what Dalton had said, and from what Gem knew of Alec, it sounded like he and Joshua had an idea.

Gem had heard of 494 at Manticore, if only for the exorbitant amount of time he spent in Psy Ops. After his last trip, following a failed solo mission, 494 had been known for his contingency plans.

"Yes, Alec. He said we use Doggy Door to get Original Cindy and Logan and Sketchy out of Terminal City?"

Max snorted from besides Alec, looking wary and reluctantly amused.

"And what, exactly, is Doggy Door?"

"Operation Doggy Door, actually. It's something Josh and I put together, thought it might come in handy." Alec and Joshua both nodded, while Mole smirked behind them. Max looked confused, and a little annoyed.

"But what is it?"

"What do you think, Max? It's our exit strategy."

Max, if anything, looked even more annoyed then before.

"_Our_ exit strategy? Who are you talking about here, Alec? And why were you putting this together in the first place?"

"Because you haven't? Because it's practical? Because we might need it?"

"Then why didn't I know about it?"

Gem watched as Alec deflated for the first time since their conversation began. He looked defeated.

"Because I didn't want us to need it. I wanted all of this to be over before we needed it."

Max visibly softened.

"I'm glad you thought of it, and I'm sorry we need it, but can we hear this plan already?"

Gem saw Mole raise his eyebrows in surprise. She suspected he was expecting more arguing between the pair. Alec's mouth lifted into a small smile at the reprieve.

"Maxie, I thought you'd never ask."

_This chapter took me longer than I expected- I wholly blame Joshua. Thank you again for the comments. I can't promise I'll keep all of you happy, but I hope you'll stick it out. My biggest concerns are characterization and pacing, so any comments or advice you might have, feel free to give it. I was hoping this chapter would help round out Max's character a bit, along with introducing a couple more canon characters. Two big questions, if you don't mind answering: 1- Are they too many character viewpoints, or are they some characters whose viewpoint you'd like to see more of? 2- I'm all for the slow build, but how do you guys feel about the pacing? Is it too slow?_

_Also, I apologize for the size of the chapters. I can make them longer, but you'd have to expect a lot longer time in between. What would you guys prefer? _

_Thanks again for reading. Please continue leaving comments!_


	8. Trek

Exit Strategy

**Disclaimer: I claim no rights to Dark Angel, or any of the characters you find here. No, not even Alec.**

**Spoilers:** Set two weeks after the events of _Freak Nation, _includes spoilers for the entire series.

_Trek_

Alec led a quiet procession of Max, Mole, Joshua, Gem and Luke in the direction of command. He had sent Dalton along with Sketchy, Cindy and Logan, in the hopes the young X6 would help expedite their packing and have them ready to leave by the time Alec and his convoy arrived.

Alec was surprised to find himself exceptionally eager to get his three friends out of Terminal City. Since waking up and being told about Sketchy's nosebleed, he felt the anxiety that had been blooming as his health declined abate. All his excess energy began to pour into planning and enacting their escape. It was only a temporary distraction, but a distraction all the same. The grim reality of his escalating illness still skirted the corners of his mind.

Alec had his first seizure shortly after Max and her "siblings" escaped from Manticore. It happened during his first run at reindoctrination; something about the drugs racing through his system and the laser etching it's way through his brain. He had a Grand Mal, right there on the table, in front of half a dozen doctors and Lydecker to boot.

They should have terminated him then; labeled him defected, euthanized him and set him up for autopsy. But old Deck was tired of losing his kids. It was time this problem had a solution.

While the rest of the twins and clones of Max's unit were busy trading away little pieces of their sanity to Manticore, X5-494 was being used as a test subject. For six months he was subjected to a variety of drug and pain regimens to set off his seizures and allow the Manticore doctors to study him and try to pin point the cause. Six months of agony, of begging and bargaining, six months of screaming for mercy.

The pain is all that Alec remembers, but he hadn't had a seizure since. Up until two weeks ago, that is. They come frequently now, and each is worse then the last. He falls unconscious almost every time, and when he wakes, he imagines white walls and doctors in white coats, and the pain and hopelessness he felt then is once again fresh in his memory.

Currently he walks with confidence, though his vision is still blurry out of his left eye, and he has to fight his body not to overbalance on his right. He feels weak and sick but he fakes it, and Mole and Luke seem to be the only ones who aren't buying his rapid recovery. Still, when he stumbles, they help to veer him back on course.

"You really plan on leading this thing?" Mole asked from beside him, voice muffled by the group's urgent footsteps.

"Only one who can, big guy."

Mole sighed and leaned in closer to reply.

"You're walking like a blind drunk, and your hands are still twitching. To hell with your secret plan, we'll find another way out."

Alec turned to face Mole then, though his attempt at eye contact fell slightly off center.

"There is no other way. The cops have us boxed in, and they've got all the surrounding sectors on lock down. This isn't just about trudging through some sewer tunnel to safety."

"Hey, pretty boy," Max interrupted, "you ready to do this?"

The group had landed in front of command, and Alec could see Dalton and the three ordinaries already waiting. He turned to Max and smiled.

"I'm ready if you are."

------------------------------------------

"I thought you said this wasn't about trudging around in some sewer?"

Mole gritted through his clenched teeth, cigar bobbing slightly. The sight made Alec smile.

"I said it wasn't _just_ about trudging through sewers tunnels."

Mole lifted the corner of his lip, revealing a snarl.

"Damn semantics."

Logan let out a laugh from behind him, and Alec was reminded of the six other people trailing him and Mole. Logan, Cindy and Sketchy were obvious. Joshua came along for navigation, Max and Gem for backup. Alec had forced Dalton to stay behind at command with Luke and Dix, an order that was met with much resistance, but ultimate compliance.

"Tell me again where you found this tunnel." Max asked, and Alec heard the curiosity and apprehension in her voice. Joshua answered for him.

"Alec not find tunnel. Joshua find tunnel. Joshua went exploring in Terminal City and found the secret entrance."

Alec nodded and picked up the story for him.

"It seems the old scientists in TC knew it was a death trap. The tunnel could be used for escape, or as a working, alternate sewer system, in case they needed to hole up here."

"And where does this tunnel lead to, exactly?"

This question came from Logan, who had been watching Alec carefully since the beginning of this little expedition.

"You'll just have to wait and see."

"Dude, cryptic much?"

"Sketch, man, you can't have secret ops without the secrets."

------------------------------------------

The group continued walking for several miles in silence. The transgenics didn't seem bothered by this, but the ordinaries looked more and more anxious the further they went. Sketchy kept glancing down at his shirt, as if expecting to see the splashes of blood he wore earlier, though he had finally changed out of his soiled garment. Cindy tried to look confident and nonchalant, but her eyes betrayed her by darting to Max every so often for reassurance. Logan looked the most at ease, but his worried glances in Alec's direction were beginning to grind on the transgenic's nerves.

Still, since coming to live in Seattle, Alec had grown in affection for each of them.

Of the three, he and Sketchy had developed the closest relationship. They had an easy bond, based on pool games, gambling and beer. When Alec was feeling shameless, Sketchy was the perfect wingman. When Sketchy found out about Alec's transgenic nature, he took a moment to freak out, and then it was business as usual between the pair. He was one of the few people who was always willing to give Alec the benefit of the doubt, and who didn't automatically think the worst of him. Most importantly, his friendship with Max didn't automatically trump his friendship with Alec.

Original Cindy was a good woman, and she and Alec got along well enough, but she was always firmly in Max's corner. She was the paradigm of a loyal friend. While this rarely worked in Alec's favor, he respected the two women's relationship, and their commitment to supporting one another.

He and Cindy had worked together once, in order to prevent Sketchy from discovering and exposing the transgenics. They had discouraged his notions of mutants in sewers, and overexposed film he had shot that would have provided evidence to his theories. When it was over, Alec had turned to thank OC for her support, for betraying one friend for the good Alec and Max and Joshua. She had looked at Alec, eyebrow cocked but otherwise straight faced, and said "I did it for Max."

Yes, OC was a good and loyal friend, and Alec respected her for it. She just wasn't loyal to Alec.

Logan was a different story. Logan had a plethora of files on transgenics, the X5s specifically. Alec had found and read through them one lazy afternoon, while Logan had been out saving the world and Alec hadn't wanted to bike in the pouring rain. Weeding through the illicit emails and typed phone conversations, Alec had found copies of official Manticore documents. He also had found a file with his serial number printed across the top, and his entire career at Manticore stuffed inside.

But for all his efforts at being thorough, Alec has seen Logan's face when he looks at Max. He may know what the transgenics were created for and what they are capable of, but he still imagines them to be mostly human, with human instincts and human reactions. Max may not mind playing down her true nature, but Alec is proud of who he is.

Alec respects Logan's dedication to the cause, and his commitment to Max, but he may never truly trust him. But who knows, after this was over, Alec himself may never be trusted again.

------------------------------------------

Two hours into their trek, Max spotted moonlight painting the tunnel ahead. It was a good thing. OC and Sketchy looked ready to drop, and Logan's exoskeleton had to be growing cumbersome in the dank, small space. Joshua, Gem and Mole all looked none the worse for the wear, but Alec was favoring one leg and she saw small tremors occasionally shudder through him. The man needed some good, uninterrupted rest and Max was determined, once this was over, to make sure he got it.

"So, what's the plan once we get out of this cesspool?"

Max watched as Mole gently prodded Alec for information. It looked like the lizard man didn't like being in the dark. Max could relate. The nervous look Alec now wore wasn't helping.

"After this, we meet up with my contact. He'll get the ordinaries out of this sector."

"And who is this contact?" Max asked, worried for the first time since this trip began.

She needn't have asked. They had reached the end of the tunnel.

Standing in front of them was Special Agent Otto Gottlieb. He stepped forward, hand extended.

"494."

Max watched as Alec reached out then, took his hand.

_Thank you once again for your reviews. I appreciate all of your thoughts and comments. _

_From here on out, I would be expecting about a chapter, possibly two, a week. _


	9. Trust

Exit Strategy

**Disclaimer: I claim no rights to Dark Angel, or any of the characters you find here. No, not even Alec.**

**Spoilers:** Set two weeks after the events of _Freak Nation, _includes spoilers for the entire series.

_Trust_

Since childhood, Otto wanted to be a secret agent.

The pulse had changed more for the United States than limiting their access to technology and crashing the financial market. The world suddenly seemed a lot more perilous, particularly in those places where safety and security had been taken for granted. For Otto, it became a place of danger and adventure. He ached to be a part of it, to liken himself an avatar for goodness and justice.

After years of training and hard work, Otto found himself at the NSA. He had only been with the agency for a few years when the transgenic problem reared its head. He was assigned, along with Special Agent White, to assist in containment. In a short time he realized that the icon of goodness he hoped to find and emulate would not be found in his superior, and the inherent fairness of government he put so much stock in would not be reflected in their solutions to the transgenic problem.

The further they got in their investigations, the more disillusioned Otto became, and the more he came to regret his childhood dreams. Until, that is, he found an ally in X5-494.

Otto came across 494 by chance while he was out doing recon for a supply run, three days into the siege. The transgenic had surprised him by lifting his arms in surrender before Otto had even drawn his gun. Then, he suggested the two have a chat. Intrigued, despite his better judgment, Otto had agreed.

The things that Otto learned in that short conversation forced him to question more than his place within the agency. The revelation of Agent White's hidden agenda didn't come as too much of surprise, especially considering the strange circumstances surrounding the siege at Jam Pony. The government's involvement in Project Manticore, and their subsequent treatment of their own creations, instilled in Otto a great sense of guilt and regret.

Now that his mistakes had been revealed, the only way to appease his own sense of honor and pride was to find some way to rectify them. Lucky for Otto, 494 had just the solution.

------------------------------------------

For the second time that day, Max felt the world around her slow to a snail's pace, her whole being focused on the two men in front of her. Agent Gottlieb and Alec, embracing like old friends, like allies, like one of them hadn't spent the better part of the past year contributing to the annihilation of the other's race. She stared, and her mind raced for an explanation. No one moved. No one spoke. The whole world was boiled down to two men, hands clasped.

The seconds ticked by, and Max gave up on her search for reason. She felt her confusion turn to anger. She pictured Alec, standing over her with a knife in one hand and a taser in the other. She remembered his selfishness and complete lack of morality. She remembered her own doubts and mistrust.

Max moved.

In moments she had spun Alec around, pushing him back up against the wall of the sewer tunnel with one arm, and pressing the other against his throat. He stood unresisting, looking resigned and, inexplicably, disappointed.

She looked to Agent Gottlieb and found the man wearing a shocked expression, both hands raised in surrender. No one else moved, including Alec, who hadn't bothered once to struggle out of her hold. She turned her attention back in his direction.

"What is this? An ambush? What the hell is going on, Alec?"

Alec laughed, a pained and half crazed sound.

"And who would I be ambushing, Max? You think I'd walk my own people into a trap?"

Max heard a growl from somewhere behind her, Mole, probably. She didn't care. She wasn't going to stop until she had figured out exactly what was going on with Alec, exactly whose side he was working on. If that meant pushing a little, she could push.

"You've been out of Manticore for over a year, and more than half that time you've spent looking out for one person. All of the sudden, you start to give a crap about the people around you, and I'm supposed to believe you've had some kind of incredible change of heart? That all the things you did before meant nothing? That underneath the badass assassin, loyal only to Manticore, you're what? A sweet little puppy, ready to roll over and play nice? You didn't tell me when you started having seizures again, why should I believe anything else that comes out of your mouth? You brought us to the enemy, Alec!"

Max was huffing with anger by the time she finished. The growling had stopped, replaced with a stunned silence. Alec's face remained as inscrutable as ever. Sometime in the middle of her speech, she had released the pressure from Alec's neck. He took the opportunity to push her away and faced Agent Gottlieb, his trademark smirk in place.

"You see what I'm dealing with here, Otto? No respect."

The agent lowered his hands as Alec spoke; he now looked a strange mixture of stoic and amused. Max, however, was speechless at Alec's flippant reply.

"In the future, 494, I suggest forewarning your people before going to meet with a formerly hostile government agent."

"Formerly?" Logan asked. He stepped forward cautiously, while motioning Max to back away from Alec, who was still smirking, but had pushed himself back against the wall for support.

"Still a government agent. Just no longer hostile, right Special Agent?"

Agent Gottlieb nodded at Alec, not sure who else to address.

"Well then," Mole stepped up, speaking directly to Alec, "looks like you've been a busy boy. You wanna tell us how you hooked up with a Fed there, Princess? Assuming White won't be jumping out of any corners to kill us all."

Alec relaxed, and he wasn't the only one. Max watched as Gem and Joshua lost the stiff set of their shoulders, and Logan, Sketchy and Cindy each audibly sighed. They may have made the collective decision to ignore Max's angry diatribe, but at least they were going to get some answers.

------------------------------------------

Mole hates surprises. Always has. He likes to think that Manticore hard wired it into his DNA somehow, right along with his thick lizard hide and overall sunny disposition. Somewhere in the genetic soup Manticore whipped together to create his dry, scaly ass, someone tacked on an intense hatred for surprises of any kind.

It was bad enough to see White's pet Fed standing at the end of a two-hour trek through the sewers, but to see him reach for Alec's hand, to see Alec clasp hands with his. Surprise didn't begin to cover it.

Mole was revving up for a hissy fit of his own before 452, drama queen that she is, shoved the two men apart and went for Alec's throat. Alec could have thrown her off, Mole knows that much. He could have started offering excuses, tried rattling off an explanation. Instead Mole watched Alec absorb each word of vitriol that spilled out of 452's mouth. With the shock of surprise wearing off, Mole was left with only the memory of Alec's face after his last seizure, etched with worry and sadness even in sleep.

He helped to diffuse the situation. He put the ball back in Alec's court. Mole hoped, beyond hope, the X5 hadn't sold them out.

He had grown attached to the cocky son of a bitch, and would hate to have to kill him.

------------------------------------------

Agent Gottlieb started to lead the group out of the tunnel, to a small copse of trees just outside its entrance. Max was the last to follow him, along with Alec. They were almost out of the tunnel when Alec stepped in front of her, brought his hands up to clench onto both her arms.

"What the hell, Alec!"

Max tried to rally her anger from earlier, but the look on Alec's face stopped her. He wore none of the fury she was expecting but, instead, looked absolutely exhausted.

"Calm down, Max. I get it."

He released his hold on her upper arms, and sagged back into himself.

"You don't trust me."

"Alec…"

"It's okay. I wouldn't trust me either. I've caused you a lot of trouble. I'm the reason you and Logan can't be together. You've had to save my ass more than once. But, Max, things are different now. And there are parts of me that you don't know. That you don't understand."

"Are those the parts that fought at Jam Pony? That stayed in Terminal City to help when you could have run?"

Alec exhaled heavily; he looked relieved. Max went on.

"I don't know what's going on, and I hate that, but I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt."

"But?"

It was Max's turn to sigh, and she allowed her feelings of worry and trepidation to show as she did it.

"But you need to let me in. No more secret allies. No more surprises."

"No more secrets." Alec repeated back to her, though he looked pained to do so. Max could tell he was still holding something back, but she let it go. She was too interested in Agent Gottlieb.

------------------------------------------

Otto watched as 494 and X5-452 walked down the slight embankment outside the sewer tunnel, to the trees where the rest of their group had settled. The pair must have settled their argument; 452 looked more curious than angry now, and 494 looked more relaxed than Otto had seen him for some time.

As their relationship progressed, Otto saw the strains of the siege begin to wear on the young transgenic. At one of their first clandestine meetings, 494 had arrived pale as death, with several blood vessels burst in each of his eyes. Halfway through the meeting, Otto noticed his right arm had started to shake. When he pointed it out to 494, the man made his apologies and cut their time short, but not before his left arm began shaking as well. The whole episode left Otto puzzled and, to his great surprise, concerned. After some self-reflection he discovered he had developed a fondness for 494.

Now facing a group of his closest friends and allies, Otto found himself eager to gain their approval, and to remove any doubts of 494's loyalties. He waited for everyone to settle, then turned to speak.

"I understand if seeing me here has made some of you uneasy. Unfortunately, we don't have enough time to explain the entire history of my association with 494. Suffice to say, we have been working together for several weeks now."

"Several weeks?" 452's eyes were bright with renewed anger. 494 had told Otto she had a short fuse. "What have you been doing for several weeks?"

Otto gestured to 494, hoping he would answer her questions. Before he could speak, one of the humans, a man Otto recognized as Logan Cale, answered for him.

"Exchanging information. I'm guessing the Special Agent here has been filling Alec in on the NSA's plans. White's plans."

"And the supply runs." A woman who Otto recognized as the transgenic who had given birth during the siege at Jam Pony spoke up. "That's it, isn't it? He's been helping you plan the supply runs."

This proclamation was met with an assortment of reactions. One of the transhumans, who most resembled a lizard, threw up his hands at the revelation, muttering about "that clever son of a bitch". The dog faced transhuman smiled and nodded, while 452 and Cale eyed 494 appraisingly. Only the two remaining humans looked confused.

"I don't get it. I thought Alec did the supply runs?" Asked the scruffy looking man, Calvin Theodore, whom Otto knew wrote for the local gossip rag, "His plans, his contacts?"

For the first time since joining the group, 494 spoke up.

"Plans aren't worth much if I can't get my teams in and out of Terminal City. Otto here has been giving me the weak spots in the barricade."

"That's the reason for all the cloak and dagger, dragging us ten miles through some secret tunnel. You didn't have time to talk with your G-Man, find out where to sneak us past the blockade."

494 tilted his head at the speaker, who Otto guessed to be Cindy McEachin, another human "hostage" from Jam Pony.

"Bingo. So, now that the meet and greet is over…"

"But why?" 452 asked Otto, "Why are you helping us?"

"No time for twenty questions, Max." 494 answered for him. "All you need to know is that Agent Otto is on our side, and is going to help smuggle these three"-he gestured to his human companions- "out of the sector, and past White's goons."

"So you trust him?"

494 looked Otto over once more, before turning back to his companions.

"I do."

_Thanks again for the reviews. This chapter was giving quite a bit of trouble. Lots of action and angst ahead. Let me know what you think. Just a couple of chapters left._


	10. Precipice, Part 1

Exit Strategy

**Disclaimer: I claim no rights to Dark Angel, or any of the characters you find here. No, not even Alec.**

**Spoilers:** Set two weeks after the events of _Freak Nation, _includes spoilers for the entire series.

_Precipice, Part 1_

Luke stared at the file in front of him, labeled 331845739494. Logan had slipped it to him before he left the city, though Luke was clueless as to how the ordinary had gotten it in the first place. He turned it over in his hands, fingered the bold CONFIDENTIAL stamped on the cover.

Inside was Alec's entire history with Manticore, condensed to one folder. All his training records, his time in the field, his time in Psy Ops, collected together in print. His health records should be there as well, along with, quite possibly, the key to his seizures. And still, Luke couldn't bring himself to open it.

A year had passed since the destruction of Manticore, yet the transgenics still carried wounds from their time there. If Luke had learned anything living in Terminal City, surrounded by his own kind, it was that no one had escaped unscathed. But the transgenics held their hurts close, and preferred to nurse their own damaged bodies and minds. The wounds too grievous to heal were ignored, pushed aside, in hopes their unnatural resiliency would save them. The folder was more than a collection of paperwork, it was Alec's private pain and, Luke knew, his shame.

"Do you plan on reading that?"

Luke saw Dix out of the corner of his vision, peering over his shoulder at the file in front of him. He hastened to cover the label, though he was surely too late, as Dix's next words proved.

"That file is for 494, Alec? I assume you'll be looking through it for a key to his condition?"

"I…I was just trying to decide…"

Luke ducked his head, searching for the words.

"I understand. You don't want to intrude. He is entitled to his secrets. But without some answers…"

"He won't last much longer." Luke muttered helplessly, "The seizures will only get worse."

"He'll die. Without help, and soon, he'll die. You know it."

Luke looked up to see Dalton standing not five feet from them. His jaw was set in an attempt to look stoic, but his eyes were bright with fear.

"Read it. Find out what's killing him."

Dix nodded his head in agreement, eyes shifting to the folder now lying across Luke's lap.

Luke trusted Dix. They had come to Terminal City together, making their way from the wreckage of their first home. The first few months were a mass of confusion, as more and more transhumans fled to the safety of the toxic city. Then came Joshua, and with Joshua came Alec, and with Alec, Max. With Max came the return of a chain of command.

While Mole and several of the other transhumans fought tooth and nail at the mere concept of authority, Luke and Dix accepted it, along with the X Series that came along with it. Together, they found roles to fill in the new regime, quietly supporting one another along the way. Above all, Luke trusted Dix's judgment, cool and objective over his more sentimental nature. He turned the file over once more, than flipped it open, quickly, before he could change his mind. He handed half of the reports to Dix, and faced Dalton.

"You shouldn't…he wouldn't want you to see this. Well, he wouldn't want any of us…"

"It's okay, I get it. I don't want to know." The boy looked sick and relieved at once. "Just find out what's wrong with him."

"We will. We will."

------------------------------------------

It didn't take long for Luke to find what he was looking for, a short annotation made in the comments from Alec's last trip to Psy Ops. He handed the report to Dix for confirmation, watched his friend slump as he read. The two made eye contact briefly before turning to Dalton, who was nervously watching them.

"Do you know where they've gone?" Luke asked.

"No, but he gave me this." Dalton handed Dix a small remote. "It's a GPS receiver. He's got the tracker on him. Just in case."

Dix picked up a cell phone from a drawer in his desk and handed it to Dalton.

"Take the receiver, find him. Bring him to the infirmary immediately. Call if you need assistance."

"What's happening? Luke?"

"I'm coming with you."

"But…"

Dix cleared his throat, and carefully straightened himself.

"Suffice to say, Alec is very ill. Now that he knows what he's looking for, Luke will do his best to help him."

"Can you?" Dalton asked Luke, "Can you help him?"

_No_- Luke thought- _There's no helping him now._

But he said, "I'm going to try."

_Part 2 coming soon_


	11. Precipice, Part 2

Exit Strategy

**Disclaimer: I claim no rights to Dark Angel, or any of the characters you find here. No, not even Alec.**

**Spoilers:** Set two weeks after the events of _Freak Nation, _includes spoilers for the entire series.

_Precipice, Part 2_

The group began to move away from the tunnel, in the direction of the city proper. Max and the ordinaries seemed more relaxed since the discussion with the agent, but Gem sensed an air of anxiety about Mole and Joshua, much like her own. Whether it was from the agent, or Alec's strange behavior, she couldn't be sure. The man himself was a ball of nerves, a fact that was becoming more apparent the further they walked. His body had stopped having sporadic spasms, but that meant little to Gem. Transgenics, she knew, were adaptable to almost anything.

She continued to observe the quiet group as they walked; Max was huddled with Logan, as close as the virus would allow, speaking in hushed tones. Alec alternated between passing out reassuring smiles and nods to everyone, and watching the ground in front of him while taking deep, cleansing breaths. Gem sped up to walk alongside Joshua and Mole.

"He's getting worse."

Neither man turned to face her, though Joshua did bow his head. It was Mole who spoke.

"Course he is. Dumb bastard thinks he's indestructible."

"No," Joshua spoke, shaking his head, "Alec not indestructible. Alec thinks no one can help him, but Alec can help them." He said, gesturing to Cindy and Sketchy behind them.

"Like I said," Mole raised his voice so that Alec, who was several paces ahead of them, could hear, "he's a dumb bastard."

Alec glanced back with a strained smile, his eyes darting onto each of them briefly.

"Wanna watch it back there? I know you're tight for conversation, but you keep talking about me, I'm gonna get a big head."

Max broke out of her mutterings to flash a smirk in his direction.

"Think we're a little late for that."

"Hey, I can't help it if I'm interesting. Far be from me to turn my back on my adoring public."

"Interesting? Adoring public? Right."

Gem noticed Alec visibly relax at the light banter, his hands no longer clenching and unclenching. Though her voice was light and playful, Gem could see the worry in Max's eyes. For the first time she considered their wordplay as more than stress relief on Max's part, but as a sign of comfort for them both, a reaffirming of the status quo. Then the agent spoke and the moment was over.

"The next checkpoint is two blocks ahead. You should head back to the tunnel entrance; I can take care of Mr. Cale, Mr. Theodore and Miss McEachin from here."

"Oh, hell no," Max objected, "no offense Special Agent, but I'm not leaving them alone with you. Alec may trust you but…"

"Hold it, boo," Cindy said, stepping into Max's line of vision, "If Alec trusts Agent Gottlieb here, we ought to give the man a chance."

"A chance! I am not risking any of you on a chance!"

"Max," Logan spoke up, "you can't follow us. It isn't safe. The sector cops have all your pictures by now, and Joshua and Mole can't come any deeper into the city. Would you risk them for us?"

"I don't want anyone at risk." Max grumbled with resignation. Gem could see the tough spot she was in, understood her desire to keep her friends safe. The truth was, though, they were at war. There was no safe.

"We got them out of Terminal City. Now the agent needs to get them home. They can't do that with us. We'll only put them in more danger."

Gem stared at Max, willing her to agree and get over her cautious objections.

"You said you would trust me Max, now trust my judgment." Alec said, watching the ground once more. "Besides, it's not exactly safe to be standing around debating this."

Max finally nodded, then moved to hug goodbye to her friends. Sketchy looked nervous at all this talk of danger, but OC and Logan were too caught up in hugging and shaking hands with the transgenics to seem nervous. Gem hugged each of them. She noticed, out of the corner of her eye, Logan whispering to Alec. Most probably it was instructions to look over Max, but Gem didn't try to eavesdrop. Then OC and Joshua were embracing, Mole was pounding Sketchy on the back, and Alec was whispering with the agent.

The two groups finally broke apart, the ordinaries and the agent heading towards the checkpoint, the rest of them gathering for the walk back to TC. Several minutes had passed, and Gem noticed Alec was staring at the ground again as he walked, his head cocked like he was listening for something. Gem was ready to pass it off as nerves, when his head abruptly shot up, his gaze firmly planted in the direction the ordinaries were traveling. Gem shook his arm gently.

"Alec?"

His eyes began to glaze over, his mouth turn up into a snarl.

"White."

------------------------------------------

Alec ran.

He ignored the tightening of his limbs, ignored the niggling sense in the back of his mind, telling him there was something he had forgotten, something important. He just ran; his whole body and mind focused one man, one name, _Whitewhitewhitewhitewhitewhite_.

He was here, Alec could smell him, could see him, sneering. He was a fool for trusting Otto, Agent Gottlieb; Alec saw that now. Government agents, military men, they stuck together. He was fool for believing that men were capable of good, capable of seeing the error of their ways. There was no forgiveness or redemption. Alec was a fool.

He heard the transgenics behind him, Max was calling his name, or Gem was. None of them had his training; none were as strong or as fast as he was. Even with the seizures breaking his body down, none of them could stop him. Seizures. He had forgotten about the seizures. For a moment he slowed himself, tried to slow the thoughts racing through his head. There was something important, something he had forgotten.

The moment was brief, too brief to allow the people trailing him to catch up. His new mantra began again- _whitewhitewhitewhite_- a steady symphony.

He was on them now, Logan looking startled and confused, Cindy and Sketchy were shouting, and Alec had one hand around Otto's neck, the other reaching for his gun. The weight of it helped to bring him back to earth, and the voices calling out around him had words now, words that he could understand. Words like _stop_.

Alec looked at them, at Otto, who was struggling to speak. His face was red with strain, his eyes rolling back into his head. Alec felt hands batting at him, trying to pull him back away from the man who had betrayed him. He turned his gun over in his loose hand, swung his arm back, heard and felt the handle connect with someone's skull.

Otto, _Agent Gottlieb_ was unconscious. Not dead. Alec knew just how much time and pressure to apply, knew the difference between knocking someone out and killing them. He had other things to attend to, now.

_Whitewhitewhitewhitewhite._ The man was closing in on them. Alec could sense him. He turned to face the group, heard Agent Gottlieb's body fall to the pavement behind him, and saw the shock painting each of their expressions. Gem's face, too, was streaked with blood. He paused between his deep breaths, looked down at the ground and caught the butt of his gun. It was bloody. There was something he was forgetting.

"Alec?"

Max said his name slowly, carefully. She was approaching him with her hands raised slightly, like he was a dangerous animal. Maybe he was.

"Alec," she spoke again, "Alec, put down the gun."

Agent Gottlieb was stirring behind him. Mole and Joshua and Logan and even bloody Gem were looking at him sadly. Cindy and Sketchy looked frightened. Max took another step forward.

"He's coming."

His voice was not his own, was 494's, deep and authoritative and Max, Max couldn't see, she couldn't see him. Alec looked up at her, looked over her shoulder, and saw two people running towards them, one of them shorter them him, blond and yelling his name.

His mind was still screaming _whitewhitewhitewhite_ as he pushed Max out of the way with one hand, raised his gun hand, and pulled the trigger.

_Sorry for the delay- I hate to end on a cliff hanger (obviously). Thanks once more for the reviews. You guys are fantastic in your support. Only one, possibly two chapters left. _


	12. Like Madness

Exit Strategy

**Disclaimer: I claim no rights to Dark Angel, or any of the characters you find here. No, not even Alec.**

**Spoilers:** Set two weeks after the events of _Freak Nation, _includes spoilers for the entire series.

_Like Madness_

Mole was on Alec before Dalton's body hit the ground, all concern for bringing the X5 down unscathed obliterated by the gunshot.

Mole had heard Alec say White's name, right before his spontaneous flight. He turned to Joshua and saw the dog-man sniff the air and shake his head before they joined Gem and 452 in their pursuit. The two X5s reached Alec first.

Mole watched them approach the crazed man, watched as Alec slammed his gun into Gem's head, causing her to stumble back. He watched as Agent Gottlieb stopped struggling and Alec dropped his body. Alec turned to them, then, his pupils blown wide and black and empty, his still face a mask of death. Mole shuddered at the sight. 452 walked towards Alec, hands out and cautious. Mole heard Dix and Dalton running up behind them, yelling Alec's name. Then Dalton was falling and someone was screaming and Mole was moving faster than he ever had before.

Alec didn't struggle when Mole wrapped him in a sleeper hold. As his body began to slump against Mole's, the lizard-man heard Luke yelling to him from down the street, where Dalton lay bleeding.

"Don't put him to sleep! Mole!! Subdue him all you want, but keep him conscious!"

Mole motioned to Joshua, who was standing in shock beside him, to help restrain the transgenic. Gem rushed forward to take the gun still dangling from Alec's hand as 452 knelt down by Alec's head, waving Joshua away.

"Go help Luke with Dalton. We'll take care of Alec."

Joshua nodded and trotted off down the street, and leaned down to take instructions from Luke. Alec blinked up at them, his eyes surprisingly sane.

"It was White. I saw him but, Dalton? Did…did I shoot him? White…" Alec continued to mumble, but kept his body very, deliberately still.

"Gottlieb," Max looked at the agent, and the ordinaries with him, "get them out of here."

The agent shook his head.

"We're in an industrial part of the city, so hopefully no one was around to hear the gunshot. I arranged for the checkpoint to be unmanned." The man said, his voice sounding rough and painful through his abused throat. "He told me…told me to expect this."

"You better tell me what the hell you're talking about." 452 replied, her hands adjusting their hold on Alec's shoulders to push him down into the asphalt. "He was expecting to flip out and attack his own people?"

Alec began breathing heavily, though he made no attempt to move.

"No," the agent replied, shaking his head and rubbing his throat simultaneously, "he was expecting to get worse. Before we split up, he told me he…he didn't have much longer. He told me to get them out safely."

"White," Alec said between panting breaths, his eyes dark and dilated once more, "He's coming. He's here. He'll kill us all and you won't let me stop him."

"Get them out," 452 repeated to Agent Gottlieb, "we'll take care of this."

The ordinaries looked hesitant to leave, the boyfriend glancing back twice as if to offer to stay and help. Then Alec's body began to buck beneath their grasp, and Mole had no more time to watch the group's retreat.

"He's coming, don't you understand? I saw him! I saw him!" Alec screamed, his arms and legs now shaking with the rest of his body.

"Only Alec would have a seizure in the middle of a psychotic break." Mole muttered while tightening his hold.

"It's not…he's not having a psychotic break." Luke replied. Mole looked up in surprise to see Luke kneeling down next to him. Joshua was carrying a bleeding, unconscious Dalton, while Gem applied pressure to his wound. "And he's not having a seizure. Well, at least not the kind we're used to." The statement only seemed to aggravate Alec more.

"I'm not broken! I'm not. The shaking will stop, I promise. They said they'd make it stop. Now let me go!"

Mole clapped a hand over the screaming transgenic's mouth.

"Well, Luke, I'm glad to hear you've drummed up some inkling of what's wrong with our boy here, but we wait around much longer and its not gonna matter if anyone heard that gunshot."

Mole looked at 452, who was watching Alec with a painful look on her face.

Alec had told Mole once about his twin, 493. He was one of the 09ers, family to 452, and a serial killer. He was dead now, Mole knew that much, but not before Manticore had punished Alec for all his brother's transgressions. Mole wondered if, looking down at Alec's jerking body, 452 was really seeing Alec at all, or just the ghost of the brother she lost. The mere possibility infuriated him.

"Well come on, girly, you gonna order us around? Or do you plan on waiting until Dalton bleeds out and Alec…"

452 spun her head and gave Mole a quick snarl, before turning to the rest of the transgenics to begin barking out orders. Good.

"Joshua and Gem, head back to Terminal City with Dalton. Take the tunnel. Luke, do we have any certified medics that can meet them?"

"No one certified, but a couple trained in Field Med. They'll keep him stable. Gem," Luke pointed to Dalton, "check his jacket pocket for a cell and call command on the way. Dix is expecting to hear from us."

The young mother had just started to riffle through Dalton's pockets, when she stopped abruptly.

"Luke, where is my daughter?"

"Relax Gem, we left Eve with Dix. She's perfectly safe. Now get Dalton out of here. We'll be there soon. Everything will be fine."

No sooner had the words left Luke's mouth than Alec's struggling increased tenfold. Mole could feel Alec's mouth working beneath his palm, trying to bite his hand. Joshua whimpered at the sight of his friend, but started to jog away with Gem and Dalton all the same.

"Can you really help him?" 452 asked, adjusting to rest her full weight on Alec's trembling legs. Luke paused, and Mole felt his apprehension grow.

"Well, I can't do anything for him here." Luke took a syringe out of his pocket, injecting its contents into Alec's thigh. "This might help to keep him calm."

Alec began to still under Mole's hold, and stopped trying to take off Mole's hand. "Well, why the hell are you just giving it to him now?" Mole asked, huffing.

"I'm afraid…the risks may outweigh the benefits."

"What risks?" asked 452, loosening her grip and leaning forward to help a quiescent Alec sit up.

"They don't matter now." Luke answered softly.

------------------------------------------

It took several minutes to coax Alec to stand, and even then he needed to be supported on both sides by Max and Mole. Max had suggested taking the tunnel entrance back to TC, but Luke vehemently opposed the idea. After a short argument, they decided to take a shorter, more dangerous route, one that Alec often used when slipping in and out of TC on his recon missions. Now the small convoy was making their way through an abandoned part of the city, Luke leading the way.

Max could feel Alec's body shuddering beside her, though after the injection Luke had given him, the strongest tremors had passed. She occasionally caught small snippets of recognizable words or phrases in his incessant muttering, all of which added up to shallow threats, a good amount of begging, and small, sad sounds that tore at Max's heart.

After ten minutes of stumbling down side streets, Alec finally began to speak clearly, albeit quietly.

"Luke?"

At the sound of his name, the transgenic stopped suddenly, which in turn caused Max and Mole to stagger to a halt.

"Alec?" Max spoke softly, readjusting his arm across her shoulders to allow her to face him. She needed to see his face.

"Luke?" He repeated, "You found it, didn't you? My file?"

Max looked questioningly from one man to the other.

"I did, Alec," Luke replied. "Logan gave it to me before he left. Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Alec hung his head, and his feet stuttered to a stop.

"I didn't know, and then I did. And it was too late, man. It was always too late. There was nothing to do."

The response was disquieting enough to send a shiver down Max's spine. She remembered Luke yelling to Mole to keep Alec awake, and Mole commending Luke on having some inkling of Alec's condition. She simply hadn't thought to question Luke on his discovery in the time since. Now the two of them were discussing Alec's illness in terms so opaque, Max struggled to make heads or tails of the conversation. Mole, of course, beat her to the punch.

"You too wanna fill us in on what's going on, before pretty boy here flips his lid again?"

Alec paled at the last statement, but his eyes stayed focused, and his voice steady.

"We don't have time to explain everything, but the seizures will keep getting worse."

"And the rest? What about the mumbling and the hallucinations? Will they get worse?" Max asked, her voice rising incrementally as she spoke.

Luke looked prepared to answer when she realized they had reached the side entrance to Terminal City, a gap in the fence for them to crawl through, disguised by an empty dumpster. Mole shifted his portion of Alec's weight to Luke to support, so that he could push the dumpster out the way. Alec, Max noticed, had started trembling again. His eyes were blinking rapidly, and he was staring down the alleyway behind them.

"Max, he's here. He's…White. Can you see him?"

Max reached out one hand to cradle his cheek, and tried to sound reassuring. "It's okay. We'll help you. We're almost home." Alec just shook his head, and lifted one shaking hand.

"He's here, Maxie. I see him. I see him."

Max sighed and looked to Luke, who was trying to take Alec's pulse and feel for fever. Mole had finished moving the dumpster, and was motioning them ahead when a familiar voice called out from behind them, along with the sound of a safety clicking off.

"You really should learn to listen to your Second, 452."

_We're in the home stretch now- just one chapter left! Thank you, as usual, for all your wonderful reviews. I'm feeling rather inspired, so I hope to have the ending up soon. _


	13. Exit Strategy, Part 1

Exit Strategy

**Disclaimer: I claim no rights to Dark Angel, or any of the characters you find here. No, not even Alec.**

**Spoilers:** Set two weeks after the events of _Freak Nation, _includes spoilers for the entire series.

_This turned out quite a bit longer than I was expecting. The format is a little funky, so read carefully._

_Exit Strategy, Part 1_

"I read your file. Before we left Terminal City."

"Why'd you wait? You've had it for four months, at least."

"I was trying to respect your privacy."

"If that was true, you wouldn't have had my file in the first place."

"Hey, better me than some defunct Manticore scientist."

"Fair enough. So then, you can guess what happens next."

"Yes, but Alec..."

"Nothing to be done. It's better like this. Anyway, everyone knows that hope is for ordinaries. Like Santa Claus, and the Tooth Bunny."

"Fairy."

"What?"

"The Tooth Fairy."

"What do fairies have to do with teeth?"

"Alec."

"What?"

"You're a good man."

"Yeah, well, I'm not a man, am I? Not really."

"You are. Really."

"Thanks. Listen; stay with Otto. Just…remember I trust him."

"Be careful."

"Don't worry, I'll keep her safe."

"Keep yourself safe."

------------------------------------------

Ames White had just finished a late dinner when Otto called. There'd been a reported sighting of 452, with possible shots fired, all outside of Terminal City's well-protected borders. She wasn't alone. The mere thought of eliminating 452 _and_ 494 in one fell swoop had Ames up and out the door before Otto could even tell him what sector to head for.

Ames had always nursed an impressive hate for the transgenics. Their mere existence was an abomination in itself. The fact that they were his father's creations, that his flesh and blood had produced these affronts against nature, these perversions of his sacred race. It was not to be borne.

He struggled to compensate for his father's disgrace, taking on the task of destroying the transgenic threat through his position in the NSA. He had been making good progress. The city was smothered in a blanket of fear, the transgenics drawn as a great and dangerous unknown variable, capable of anything, attacking unprovoked, murdering blind women. Then came the situation at Jam Pony, and the failure of the Phalanx.

The majority of the transgenic populace was now tucked away in Terminal City, which was secured on all sides. The military blockade worked to keep the transgenics in, and the transgenics' own internal defenses kept everyone else out.

Public opinion was an ever-swinging pendulum; Ames understood that much. What's perceived as a threat, today, is a charitable cause tomorrow. The longer the siege lasted, the more time people had to sift through the facts, to question what they had been told. Already, sympathetic articles were cropping up in the back pages of local newspapers. Of the human hostages from Jam Pony that had been interviewed about their experience, every one of them had fallen down hard on the side of the transgenics. The hate and distrust Ames had taken so much time to cultivate was dissipating, his campaign against the freaks losing its momentum. One tiny push was all they needed, and all of Ames' work would be for nothing.

------------------------------------------

"It's like I can already smell him. He's coming."

"Relax, I have to call him first."

"I know, I…you need to get them out, fast. This is dangerous enough and…he's coming. I can…I can't hold this off much longer."

"You don't have to do this."

"…"

"Let them help you. Worry about White another time."

"There's no other time. I can do this."

"Can you? Can you keep it together?"

"Enough. Man, it's a good thing you won't be there."

"Why?"

"Why do you think? It's only gonna get worse."

"You…alright. And you're sure he has the contacts. There's no sense in doing this…"

"I'm sure. Just explain everything once you get somewhere safe. And move fast. You have the other receiver?"

"Yes. I know what to do. Are you alright?"

"He'll kill us. All of us, if we don't stop him now."

"I know. 494?"

"Come on man, call me Alec."

"Alec, then."

"Otto."

"It's been an honor."

------------------------------------------

Ames moved quickly through the city. Once he entered the right sector, he chose to forgo his car in favor of traveling on foot. It was easier to traverse the slim side streets that way. Otto had provided him with the exact location of the "sighting", but transgenics knew better than to linger, and could have easily moved on by now. But Otto had also assured him that one of them was injured, and Manticore had taught its children to never leave a man behind. It was another reminder that, despite their superior genetics, the transgenics were still weak. They were little more than trained animals, bred to be malleable and obedient to any master with a hard voice and swift hand. Weak.

Before long, none of that would matter. Ames comforted himself with the thought. Without their leaders, the remaining freaks would either die out, or crawl back into whatever dank, dark holes they had occupied the past year. And, with 452 dead, the human race would soon be wiped neatly from the face of the earth. The Concave would rise to power, his people would rule this world as it had been told, and Ames, Ames would be exalted among them. The shame of his father would finally be cast aside, the honor of his family restored. Ames shivered with pleasure at the thought.

------------------------------------------

"I need you to speak with Matt Sung."

"What?"

"Detective Matt Sung. 49…Alec said that you could reach him."

"Alec said? Okay, who else?"

"Melissa Bycroft."

"The reporter?"

"I know her."

"Sketch?"

"You know, from time in the field?"

"Does she trust you?"

"Yeah she's…what do you want her to do?"

"Tell her to go to the precinct, ask for Detective Clemente. He should have everything she'll need."

"The tape?"

"The tape. Among other things."

"What tape?"

"And Matt Sung?"

"Just get him moving. I'll send the location. We don't have much time."

"What tape?"

"Clemente…and a tape…oh, damn! What's hot boy playing at now?"

"Dude, what tape?"

"Listen boo, just call your reporter friend and send her off to Clemente."

"I know this is a lot to take in. Just, trust me. Trust Alec."

"Doctor Shankar."

"Who?"

"Oh, um, Doctor Shankar. She's…familiar with the transgenic physiology. I should call her too. Maybe she could help."

"Yes, do that. Though, he won't thank you for it."

"No, he won't."

"Don't you boys have some calls to make?"

"Yes, okay."

"Agent White…a sighting has been reported...They've been identified…yes, sir, it's 452…"

------------------------------------------

He found them down an alleyway on the outskirts of Terminal City, huddled around a dumpster like vermin. The lizard-man from Jam Pony was there, rocking the dumpster away from the fence it rested against. Three freaks stood behind him; one was another worthless anomaly he didn't recognize, the others 452 and 494. A wave of anticipation flooded through him at the sight, his mind creating helpful images of the pair soaked in pain and blood and death.

Ames struggled to reign in his blood lust, and observed the group for a few minutes from afar, looking for weakness. Otto was right, 494 had been injured somehow, and was propped up between the other two transgenics. Tremors shook through him, visible even from this distance, and Ames scoffed at his frailty, at this incontrovertible proof of the transgenics' inferiority.

No sooner had the thought passed through his mind, did 494's head spin unerringly in his direction, and Ames knew his time for observation was over.

The transgenic tried to warn his companions, but they paid him no heed. Ames could hear 452's pointless assurances; _it's okay. We'll help you. We're almost home_, even as 494 raised a shaking arm to point directly at him. The bitch was so busy sighing and looking generally put upon, she didn't hear Ames creep up the alley behind them and draw his gun.

"You really should learn to listen to your Second, 452."

------------------------------------------

"Detective Clemente."

"Miss Bycroft. I've been expecting you."

"Is that so?"

"I have something for you. I trust you will put it to its very best use."

"And what use would that be?"

"I'm merely asking for an honest and objective perspective."

"It sounds like you want me to use my position to drum up sympathy for a dangerous and ungoverned group of individuals."

"The public deserves to see all sides to a story. It is your responsibility as a reporter to provide them."

"Relax, Detective. Just making sure we're working for the same side."

"And what side would that be, Miss Bycroft?"

"Why, the side of the truth, of course."

"Of course. Miss Bycroft?"

"Melissa."

"Melissa. Mr. McDowell sends you his best."

"Thank you, Detective."

------------------------------------------

Ames was giddy. His gun was locked and loaded, pointed at the base of 452's skull. One squeeze of his finger, and the world would change. 452 would be dead, and all hope with her. 494, who looked even more fragile up close, would follow with little resistance. The other two freaks, well, Ames cared little whether they lived or died. They did not have the strength or opportunity to stop him, not now, with victory one bullet away.

He saw the muscles of her neck tense at the feel of the cool muzzle resting there. He took a moment to savor her failure and his triumph. It was a moment too long.

A body slammed into his, the force dislodging his gun from the back of 452's head. Ames felt his wrist being twisted, and the weapon fell completely from his grasp. His arm shot out in anger and he spun his torso, just in time to see his fist connect with the side of 494's face. The blow rocked back the transgenic's head, but he did not fall. His feet, in fact, were both firmly planted on the ground.

"494. I have to say, you're looking a little worse for the wear."

"It's nice of you to notice." 494's voice was soft and sardonic. "What brings you to our side of town?"

"I think you know the answer to that. It's not everyday the leaders of the freaks fall into my lap."

Ames began to circle his prey. He saw 494 wave back his companions, and give 452 a meaningful nod.

"You think you can protect them? Protect her?" Ames pointed in 452's direction, never taking his eyes off the transgenic in front of him. "How about I make you a deal? You step aside, let me have her, and I promise I'll make it quick."

He burst forward, attempted to throw the other man aside, but 494 dodged him neatly.

"You can't save them. You must know that by now."

"You're wrong."

"This world is teeming with hate and fear." The words rolled like acid off Ames' tongue. "It's the foundation of the human race; it's all they know. You think you're safe holed up in your toxic city? You think you can wait them out? You wait around long enough, and they'll either starve you out, or blow you up."

"And you have a better offer?"

"I said I'd make it quick."

Ames advanced, and punctuated the thought with a swing at 494's ribcage, followed up by a one-two punch. Each blow connected, though the transgenic managed to duck the next attack.

"Just like Manticore." 494 chuckled between pants. "They thought they could kill me, too." His limbs had resumed shaking, though he was making a weak attempt to hide it. Even Ames, who had no care or pity for any of the freaks, could see he didn't have much longer.

"Skip the bravado, 494. You're dying. I can smell it."

"Looks like I'll have to take you with me then."

Despite 494's words, it was Ames who stepped up his assault. He noticed the man had taken to protecting his left shoulder but, otherwise, he was only fighting defensively. The other transgenics hadn't moved, just stood by as Ames beat their comrade to death. He scoffed at their foolish pride.

Within minutes he had 494 on his knees. The only thing keeping him upright was Ames' hand wrapped in the neck of his shirt, which he used as leverage to pull the beaten man up to meet his fist. 494's face was bleeding heavily now, but he was laughing, his eyes dark and wild.

"I knew you would come. They told me I was wrong, but I knew." With a surge of strength he grabbed Ames' fist, and pulled him down so that they came face-to-face.

"They told me I was wrong, but I knew. I know you."

"No." Ames shook his head and stood, throwing the transgenic to the ground. But 494 had stopped laughing, and when he looked up at Ames again, his eyes were all but black on his bloodied face. He appeared dangerous, feral, and Ames found himself backing away.

"I know you. I see it in your face. You want to see me bleed, want to break me." His words came out a low whisper, in a voice Ames had never heard from 494 before. "You're just like them. Why wouldn't you be? You are your father's son."

"No!" Ames yelled, anger overtaking his unease. "I have no use for you. You're nothing but filth, a perversion…"

"A defective? They called me that too."

Ames was shaking almost as much as 494 now. Rage burned through him, searing away all thoughts of 452 and his mission.

"You're nothing, and I will kill every one of you, if I have to! I will wipe you freaks from the face of this earth, along with the rest of humanity! The world belongs to us now."

494 tried to struggle to his feet, but only made it as far as his knees. He faced Ames like a supplicant.

"You're wrong. We'll stop you."

"You'll die. All of you. I'll hunt you down, one by one. You can be the first, then the bitch. And then," Ames made a gesture, like the dissipation of a puff of smoke, "humanity will follow; the death of hope."

"You're wrong." 494 repeated, inching forward on both knees. His entire body was shaking forcefully now, his words pushed out through clenched teeth.

"You can't kill me, White. I'm already gone."

"Alec!" 452 screamed. She screamed the name that 494 had adopted outside of Manticore, to fit in, to have an identity. Ames growled in anger, and reached for his side arm. Science experiments didn't deserve identities.

He saw the other transgenics finally burst into motion. He heard voices yelling to him over 452's screams, voices telling him to drop his weapon. He felt the shot reverberate through his arm as he pulled the trigger. He smelt the air, like sulfur and burnt paper. He tasted death at the back of his throat as he pitched forward, a hole in his chest the size of a small fist.

_So obviously, this isn't the end. Before you can ask, yes, Ames is dead. Beyond that, the second half should answer any questions you might have. Let me know what you think. Thanks again for your reviews. And look, I finally wrote a long chapter!_


	14. Exit Strategy, Part 2

Exit Strategy

**Disclaimer: I claim no rights to Dark Angel, or any of the characters you find here. No, not even Alec.**

**Spoilers:** Set two weeks after the events of _Freak Nation, _includes spoilers for the entire series.

**Exit Strategy, Part II**

The boy was still in his arms. Even the shaking had stopped. Mole tried to keep the dead weight from shifting as he ran, tried to keep his eyes from glancing down. He headed for the infirmary, 452 and Luke trailing behind him. No one stopped to ask them questions. As they passed Command, a woman wearing a white lab coat, a doctor, human, joined them, along with Joshua and Gem. The group made to slow down, so the doctor could keep up, but the boy was still in his arms, for the second time that day, and Mole kept up the pace.

When they reached the infirmary, Gem jogged ahead of the group to get the door. Once inside, she motioned Mole to the same stretcher Alec had laid in not five hours earlier. He settled the limp body down carefully, like Alec was a small child, precious and fragile. He gently arranged the boy's limbs more comfortably, and took a moment to be grateful that he had managed to shove Alec out of the way of White's bullet. The boy was barely alive without the additional damage it would have caused.

At Manticore, no one looked over the sick and injured. Sure, soldiers were patched up in the infirmary. They were poked and prodded, vitals monitored. Those classified as a "viable resource" were given time to heal and sent back to their units. The others, the ones deemed unfit, were terminated, then taken apart piecemeal. There was no kindness or comfort to be found, on either end.

Mole had many reasons behind his dislike of the ordinaries, but the greatest one was their tendency to take everything they had for granted. Even in their post-Pulse existence, they could experience compassion and love. They hadn't been raised as living weapons, to be used and then discarded.

He squeezed Alec's hand briefly before turning away. He saw Dalton, asleep and heavily bandaged the next stretcher over, skin still pale with blood loss. They were children, Dalton and Alec both. Mole watched over them and felt utterly hopeless, struck by how brutally unfair life could be.

------------------------------------------

Once Alec was settled, Luke and Doctor Shankar shuffled Max and the rest of the transgenics out of the infirmary and into the hall. Joshua took up residence against the wall opposite the doors, to wait for an update on Alec's condition. Everyone else started to move back in the direction of Command. They had almost reached their destination when Max spoke.

"What in the hell just happened?"

No one answered. Mole was grinding his teeth in the absence of a cigar, and Gem was looking at Max in confusion. Of course, Gem hadn't been there. She hadn't seen White, beating Alec to death, hadn't watched Alec's sanity slip out of his darkened eyes while he egged the agent on. Gem hadn't seen White shot down by the police.

"White is dead." Once again, Mole beat her to the punch. "The PD showed up, figured him for the bad guy. Shot him up good."

Max saw Gem raise her eyebrows in surprise, while Max just shook her head. "I know that, but how? How did he find us? How did they get there so fast? The cops, and there were reporters. And Doctor Shankar, why is she here?" She added. Gem let out a surprised bark of laughter.

"Alec. It was…he was talking, to Logan and the agent, before we split up."

Max shook her head again.

"His plan, Max. The exit strategy. It wasn't just to get the ordinaries out of Terminal City."

"Then what…"

"Damn it, woman, don't you see?" Mole yelled at her. They had entered Command, and every head swung in the direction of his raised voice. "He led them right to us! White, the cops, hell, probably even the damn reporters!"

"He wouldn't. He could have gotten himself killed. He could have gotten all of us killed."

"He needed to end it." A new voice joined them, and Max recognized it as Logan.

"Uh, Max, I got Logan on the screen for you." Dix said, while pointing sheepishly to the station he had set up to receive Logan's camera feed. Max walked over to the monitor, Mole and Gem close behind her.

"Logan," Max sighed in relief, "are you safe? OC and Sketchy?"

"Everyone's safe, Max." Logan smiled at her through the screen, though she noticed it didn't reach his eyes.

"To hell with the ordinaries," Mole huffed in anger, "what did that boy do now?"

"What did you mean, he needed to end it?" Gem added.

Logan took a deep breath, and motioned to someone off-screen.

"You may want to ask him." He said, and tilted the camera to reveal Special Agent Gottlieb, sitting beside him.

Max swallowed her shock, and pinned Agent Gottlieb with a furious glare.

"Explain. Everything."

The agent nodded, then started to speak. Max heard the transgenics behind her shifting closer to listen.

"When I first met 4…Alec, he was scouting for a supply run. He recognized me, and suggested a truce. He told me about Agent White and the Conclave, and what it was like…for him."

"Like?"

"At Manticore."

The entire room shifted around awkwardly, while Max uttered a soft "oh".

"He was making a play for my sympathy, I know that. He got it."

It was the agent's turn to look uncomfortable. For the first time, Max began to appreciate the strange situation he had found himself in. He took a breath, and spoke again.

"He told me he needed contacts, that's what I was for. Someone on the inside, who could help with supply runs and could run interference, with the Agency and White. More than that, though, he needed a co-conspirator."

Max interrupted him then, her impatience getting the best of her.

"Why you? Why not tell anyone? What exactly were you conspiring about?"

Mole answered. "He trusted him. Needed someone outside TC, someone who was soft on our situation, who could pull strings and makes contacts Alec couldn't."

"Right," Agent Gottlieb agreed, "Alec wanted me to start making inroads at the Agency, and with the Seattle PD."

"Clemente?" Max asked, curious.

"Clemente. We knew he was sympathetic, but was under too much political pressure to do anything to help…"

A picture started to grow in Max's mind.

"So you had me keep up talks with Clemente and the military, to show that we were willing to negotiate. But the government was getting anxious to see some kind of action, and you can only keep a population of super soldiers sequestered for so long."

"Exactly. Alec was worried about another incident like Jam Pony. If anything happened, he wanted it to be something he could control. And Agent White had to be dealt with."

"So the son of a bitch won us the pity vote, and took care of White in one fell swoop." Mole said, somewhere between anger and awe.

"Alec provoked White into attacking him." Max said with confidence. "Even got him to spew some of his crazy breeding cult, anti-humanity rhetoric."

Agent Gottlieb bobbed his head in acquiescence.

"In the end, it was a matter of getting the police to witness Agent White lose control, and intercede on Alec's behalf."

"So you called Matt Sung. Because Clemente couldn't be first on the scene, not when he'd already been accused of goin' easy on us." Max looked to Logan. "And you called him, didn't you?"

"After we first separated outside TC," Logan replied, "Agent Gottlieb asked me to call Matt and tip him off, while he called White to give him your location. Alec was carrying a GPS chip on him, and gave one of the receivers to Agent Gottlieb; Dalton had the other one. I had just gotten off the phone when Alec came back and attacked us."

"And the reporters?"

"One of Alec's connections, a reporter named Melissa Bycroft." Agent Gottlieb said. "She is also an acquaintance of your friend, Calvin Theodore. He alerted her of the situation and sent her to Detective Clemente and, later, to the scene."

"Clemente? Why?"

"The detective and I have been compiling a file on Agent White and the Conclave, while Alec was providing us with the information on Manticore. That, and the tape."

"What tape?" Gem asked.

"Wait, the supply run tape?" Max turned to the eavesdropping transgenics; saw their looks of uncertainty. "Alec was caught on tape with one of his teams on a supply run a couple days ago, but what good…that son of a bitch. He gave it to the reporters."

Mole laughed again in disbelief. "The damn boy waited until he had about one foot in the grave before taking on White. Bet he's got his pet reporter painting him as some sick tranny, looking for medical assistance, when he's almost beaten to death. And they've got a tape of him stealing what, food and medical supplies? I can see the headlines now: _Transgenic forced to fight for his life, gets beaten by AWOL Fed for his trouble. _They'll plaster his pretty face on the cover of every newspaper from here to Altoona."

"That was the idea, yes."

Max shuddered at her next thought.

"So Alec is dying. For this plan to work, he had to be expendable. You didn't know what White would do to him, couldn't guarantee he wouldn't kill him before the cops arrived. He needed to enact his plan before he ran out of time, and managed to use his illness to his advantage. His hallucinations, though, he wasn't seeing White. He knew White was coming and his mind supplied the rest."

"I knew he was ill, and he told me it would only get worse, that there was nothing he could do to stop it. The hallucinations, the mania, he tried to hold it back as long as he could." Agent Gottlieb said, looking inexplicably sad.

"What's wrong with him? Dix? Logan? I want to know. Tell me someone knows."

After several minutes of uncomfortable shuffling, Dix spoke up.

"It's Manticore. An implant. It was in his file."

"File?"

"About four months ago, a source of mine turned up some files from Manticore. Alec's was one of them. I didn't read it until today, or, last night, when I found out Alec was sick. Alec…knew sooner." Logan stated, abashed.

"Fine, whatever, what about this implant?" Max asked, her impatience returning.

"He received it after a failed mission." Dix responded.

"Berrisford, Max." Logan added.

"Let's cut to the chase here," Mole interrupted, "what does the implant do?"

"Alec's not the only one with an exit strategy," Dix replied, "Manticore needed a way to control the more volatile operatives. The implant acts like a kill switch. An operative goes off mission, goes rogue, they activate the implant, there's no need to hunt them down. Alec's was a beta version, still in development but, apparently, fully functional."

Mole knocked over the chair beside Max, and there were various sounds of anger coming from the other transgenics. She began yelling herself, in fear and confusion.

"But Manticore is gone! Manticore's been gone! You're telling me this thing took almost a year to kill him?"

"Max," Logan spoke his best quiet, calming tone, "that's not all the implant does."

Dix nodded. "It also tracks various bodily functions, most notably the production of red and white blood cells."

"Oh, shit." Max breathed.

"It was tracking injuries," Dix continued, "and Alec's been shot twice in the past six months, not to mention beaten, tasered and stabbed."

Gem broke in. "A good soldier doesn't get injured that much, not by Manticore standards. We're supposed to be better than that."

"This isn't his fault!" Max yelled again. Her head was starting to pound from her yo-yoing emotions.

"I know!" Gem answered defensively. "I never said I agreed! Manticore…"

"What does the implant do? How does it kill him? How do we stop it?" Mole asked, looking from Dix to Logan and back again.

"There is no stopping it." Luke said, walking up behind them. His shirt was bloody.

"What?"

"There is no stopping it." Luke repeated. "It's not the implant killing him. When activated, it releases a poison into the bloodstream. That's what does the damage."

"So cure it! There has to be some antidote, something!"

"It was created by Manticore, Max." Luke replied, "There is no antidote or, if there ever was, it's lost."

"You're wrong."

Max turned and started off for the infirmary, an entourage on her heels. She was tired of Manticore taking away people she loved. Alec was part of her family now, her brother. He had fought to save them, had come up with this crazy plan to sway the public and the police to their side. Max was not losing him now. As she sped to the infirmary, though, her mind swirled with the possibility.

------------------------------------------

Max found Alec awake on his gurney. Joshua was sitting by his side, Alec's hand held gently in both of his. Doctor Shankar was hooking Alec up to a bag of blood; his face was covered in it. He talked in between quivering breaths.

"Guess Sketchy's not the only one to get a nosebleed today, huh Maxie?"

Doctor Shankar finished what she was doing, then cleaned off Alec's face, before turning to Max.

"It started bleeding when we first put him on IV fluids. It won't stop."

"But the seizures have, right, doc?" Alec said; a fake smirk plastered across his face. Joshua's hands tightened around Alec's one, but he remained silent.

"Alec. Why didn't you tell me?" Max asked.

"I tried to find it. I tried…didn't want to worry anyone. But you can't fix, there's no fixing it now. I needed to end it, before I go."

"Alec, don't, just…"

The fake smirk morphed into a small, pained smile.

"You can't fix it. They wanted me in pieces, and that's what they'll get."

Max heard Joshua whimper as he brushed away the sweat soaked hair from Alec's brow, and Mole stepped next to him, by Alec's side.

"Like hell they will."

Alec swung his head in Mole's direction, eyes resting on the giant lizard man.

"Doin' your own inventory from here on out, twinkle toes. 'Less Dalton…Dalton! Shit, s'he, di'I kill 'em?" Alec asked; the words garbled as he spoke through the blood running down the back of his throat. The transgenic put his free hand to his face and coughed, a harsh, wet sound. Joshua released his hold on Alec's other hand and started making shushing noises. Finally, the coughing stopped. Max saw blood splattering Alec's lips, and running in thin rivulets from the corner of his mouth.

"Dalton is resting, and he'll be fine. Luke and his team did an excellent job patching him up." Doctor Shankar replied while motioning Mole and Luke, who stood beside Max, to shift Alec to sit up higher on the few pillows behind him. Once he was positioned there, Luke wiped his face, yet again. "Now, you need to rest too."

"Rest? Be doin' plen'y o' that soon."

Max cringed at the implication, at the resolution in his voice. She leaned forward; kept her voice a hum in Alec's ear. "You should have told us. Told someone. We could have helped you."

"Helped me? Help…" Alec seemed to shake off his exhaustion, and he looked at her with his eyes clear and lucid. "This is Manticore, Max, there is no help. You forget about the virus? How's the cure coming along? You and Logan been 'getting busy' and I didn't know it?"

"Alec, stop now!" Joshua called out.

"There's no help! You don't think I tried? You think I wanna…"

Max stepped away from the gurney and stormed out of the infirmary before he could finish. She was furious but, more than that, she was scared. Maybe Alec was a better man than she had given him credit for, but he wasn't a martyr. He wouldn't be dying if he could be healed. He would have left no stone unturned, would have explored all avenues.

Max kept her back to the infirmary doors and headed back to Command. Alec was dying; there was no question about it. Well, Max had seen enough death. She hurried down the corridor, and left her thoughts of implants, poison, Manticore, and Alec, behind.

------------------------------------------

Mole stared after 452's retreating back in shock. He didn't know why he was surprised. Leaving was what she was known for. Mole looked at Alec, saw him breathing unevenly. He mopped more blood from the boy's face.

"Well gee, Princess, I think you may have drove her off."

Alec responded by arching his back in pain. The human doctor rushed to his side, and pushed an ampoule of some drug into the transgenic's IV. The room waited with baited breath for Alec's panting to stop, for his body to still, but to no avail.

"Too late for that now, Doc," Alec said through clenched teeth, "it's almost over now. Almost…"

The boy arched again, though his strength was sapped, and his body barely rose off the table. Mole watched, horrified, as Alec's eyes rolled back in his head. His body collapsed; suddenly limp.

"Is he dead?"

Mole glanced over to Dalton's stretcher to see the X6 watching Alec's still form with bloodshot eyes. Gem rushed over to the boy's side, while the doctor leaned forward to check Alec's pulse.

"He's alive. Pulse is thready." She reported.

"He wasn't lying; it's almost over. If we don't find some way to help him …"

Luke trailed off on those ominous words. Joshua whimpered again, and nuzzled his face into Alec's side.

Mole was tired. Tired of running from the government, tired of fighting to live, to be free. Alec had done his best to help solve those first two problems; it was time someone did something for Alec. Starting with dragging their so-called leader back to his side. Mole squeezed Alec's good shoulder, and marched off to Command.

------------------------------------------

He found her sitting in front of the monitors, though the screens were black. He reached out and pushed her out of her chair, so that he could loom over her.

"You want to convince us you're one of us? That you're not just some spoiled prissy bitch that likes to boss us around? You get your ass back to that infirmary, and you stay there until this is done!"

452 jumped to her feet. He expected her to attack; she was always doing things like that. Then he noticed her face was wet with tears. "I can't! I've already…I've seen him die once, I can't do it again."

"Seen him? What…" A thought came to Mole, and any sympathy he may have felt for 452 went flying out the window, his anger returning full force, "are you talking about 493? His goddamn clone? You plan on letting your Second die in there, while you sit out here moping and feeling sorry for yourself, because he looks like some kid you knew once?"

"Yes!" 452 yelled right back at him, fury lining her tear streaking face, "Is that what you want to hear? That I'm weak? That I can't stand there and watch him die? Well, fine! I won't! You heard him, there's nothing we can do. It's over."

Mole sunk back in the chair behind him, put his head in his hands. The room was silent around him.

The longer they stayed in the world, the more accustomed the transgenics had gotten to losing. After everything that had happened the night before, they finally stood a chance of gaining some ground. Alec made sure of that. Yes, Mole craved freedom. He craved it like he craved the desert. There was a time he would have given anything for it, paid any price. But Alec was his Second, his friend, and Mole didn't want to lose him. He didn't want it to be over.

"It doesn't have to be."

A voice sliced through the quiet, and every eye in Command fastened on the speaker, Mole's included. His eyes widened and jaw slackened as he took the man in, fought the urge to salute. He looked a little worse for the wear, but he was alive.

Standing in Terminal City, in the middle of Command, stood Colonel Donald Lydecker.

------------------------------------------

_This is the end of the story proper. There will be another post, sort of epilogue-ish, but nothing more with the folks at Terminal City. If you have any questions about the story, any plot details you need cleared up, etc., feel free to leave a review and I'll try to answer them for you in the next post. _

_I can tell you that, when I started writing, I had every intention of killing off Alec at the end. As the end got closer, however, I started feeling a little guilty for torturing the poor guy, and wanted to give readers a little hope. Yes, Lydecker is considered hope, here. Try not to feel too dirty about that. _

_Thanks again for your reviews. Please let me know what you think._


	15. Epilogue: Breaking News

Exit Strategy

**Disclaimer: I claim no rights to Dark Angel, or any of the characters you find here. No, not even Alec.**

**Spoilers:** Set two weeks after the events of _Freak Nation, _includes spoilers for the entire series.

_This is the epilogue I promised. It's broken up into newscasts featuring Melissa Bycroft (Sketchy's friend and Alec's pet reporter). Each break signifies a new report, all of which aired over the course of two weeks following Ames' attack on Alec. Most are portions of a full broadcast, so if they end in a strange place, don't be alarmed. When you see (BEGIN TAPE) or (END TAPE), it signifies a taped portion of the broadcast, as opposed to the live portion. Try reading them aloud, in your best newscaster voice, for the full effect._

_Epilogue: Breaking News_

This is a Channel 3 Newsbreak.

ANCHOR: Shots were fired at 8 o'clock this evening outside the gates surrounding Terminal City, leaving one dead, and one wounded. Investigators say the incident began with an altercation between an unidentified man and a group of transgenics, and ended in a shoot out with the Seattle Police Department. Melissa Bycroft joins us live from the scene, with details on this breaking news alert. Melissa, what can you tell us?

MELISSA BYCROFT, FIELD REPORTER: At this time, police are still trying to piece together the reason behind the altercation. What I can tell you is, the transgenics involved do not appear to have been the instigators.

I spoke with Detective Matt Sung of the Seattle Police Department, who was present at the scene, and he had this to say:

(BEGIN TAPE)

BYCROFT: Detective Sung, what can you tell us about the events that transpired this evening?

DETECTIVE SUNG, SEATTLE PD: We received an anonymous tip earlier this evening, which led us to this location. When we arrived, a man was brutally attacking one the transgenics. The transgenics at the scene were noncombatant and did not attempt to retaliate. The man drew a weapon. We requested he put down the weapon and back away, but he refused. He then discharged the weapon, and we were forced to take action.

BYCROFT: What can you tell us about the identity of this assailant?

SUNG: I have no comment about the identity of the assailant at this time.

(END TAPE)

------------------------------------------

ANCHOR: News continues to break and new developments are coming in every few minutes about the shocking shootout that took place outside of Terminal City earlier this evening, between a man attacking a group of transgenics, and the Seattle Police. Melissa Bycroft reports.

BYCROFT: Authorities say the man who initiated the confrontation, who was shot and killed by the police at the scene, has now been identified as a rogue government agent. At present we are unable to release a name, but can tell you he was heavily involved in the government investigation of Project Manticore. While his superiors have no comment at this time, this seems to have been an unsanctioned assault.

The mayor's office has yet to comment on the situation, but Detective Ramon Clemente, who heads up the Seattle PD's Transgenic Taskforce, has released his own statement.

(BEGIN TAPE)

DETECTIVE RAMON CLEMENTE, SEATTLE PD: For weeks, we have worked to create a mutual and peaceable solution with the transgenics. I have personally spoken with their leaders, who have assured me of their dedication to resolving the situation at Terminal City with nonviolence. This unfortunate incident has proven _their_ commitment to that promise.

After speaking with Detective Sung, and the other officers who were present, I have determined that the transgenics were not the aggressors in this attack. I, along with the rest of the Seattle Police Department, will continue to investigate the situation. In the meantime, I can only express my disappointment in the necessity of an investigation of such a violent and abhorrent crime, involving a government agent. Furthermore, I would like to extend my apologies to the transgenic community, and the transgenic that was injured in the attack.

(END TAPE)

------------------------------------------

ANCHOR: We are continuing to follow the story of the transgenics who were attacked outside of Terminal City last night. More developments have taken place, involving the transgenic that was wounded. Melissa Bycroft joins us now from the studio.

BYCROFT: Immediately after the incident, the wounded transgenic was taken back into Terminal City for treatment; so I cannot comment on the injuries he may have received. However, my sources tell me that the wounded transgenic had left Terminal City to seek medical attention for another condition, before the attack.

ANCHOR: So the injured transgenic was already ill when the assault took place?

BYCROFT: Yes, according to my source, he was incapacitated, once again, _prior _to the attack.

This same transgenic has been identified on tapes that were released earlier today of a reported robbery in Sector 7. The stolen items consisted mainly of foodstuffs and basic medical supplies.

Since the siege began, a number of robberies have taken place. Authorities are hesitant to attribute these crimes to the transgenics, but I've been told that the goods taken were similar, mostly small amounts of the most basic necessities.

I spoke with Detective Ramon Clemente, from the Transgenic Taskforce, about a possible connection between the crimes.

(BEGIN TAPE)

BYCROFT: Detective Clemente, do you believe the attack this evening was in any way connected to the recent robberies that have taken place in the Sectors surrounding Terminal City?

CLEMENTE: No, I see no connection between the crimes.

BYCROFT: But you are aware that the transgenic who was wounded in the attack this evening, appears to be the same transgenic who helped perpetrate at least one of the robberies?

CLEMENTE: I am aware of the robberies and their alleged perpetrators, Miss Bycroft, and I do not condone the actions of these individuals.

BYCROFT: With all respect, Detective Clemente, is it possible that these robberies were the only thing sustaining the transgenic population, as they are otherwise unable to provide for themselves while barricaded inside Terminal City?

CLEMENTE: Allow me to state that, under no circumstances, is breaking the law justifiable. However, I am deeply saddened that these perpetrators felt the need to go to such lengths to enjoy those things vital for their survival.

(END TAPE)

------------------------------------------

ANCHOR: Three days have passed since the shoot out that took place outside of Terminal City, between the Seattle Police Department and a rogue government agent. The agent, whose identity shall remain confidential, was shot and killed by the police while allegedly attacking a group of transgenics. One transgenic was injured in the attack, before the police arrived and were able to intervene.

Melissa Bycroft joins us from Terminal City with updates on the incident.

BYCROFT: In the time since the attack, a special commission has been created by Washington, and brought in to investigate the case. After a brief inquiry, the investigators, with the full cooperation of the Seattle Police Department and the NSA, have determined that the transgenics involved were not at fault for the incident. They have also confirmed the undisclosed agent's culpability in the attack, which was, in fact, unsanctioned by his superiors.

I spoke with Colonel Donald Lydecker, who is heading up the commission.

(BEGIN TAPE)

BYCROFT: Colonel Lydecker, how confident are you with your analysis of the incident that took place outside of Terminal City?

COLONEL DONALD LYDECKER, HEAD OF SPECIAL COMMISSION, WA: I am one hundred percent confident in the determinations we were able to make, based on our investigation. We interviewed all of the officers who were present at the scene, and took statements from the transgenics who were attacked. We also spoke with the agent's superiors and partner, to verify that his actions occurred with complete autonomy of any government agencies.

BYCROFT: What can you tell us about the status of the transgenic who was injured in the attack?

LYDECKER: The wounded transgenic was already battling with an unrelated health issue at the time of the incident, and the injuries he received did manage to accelerate his condition. At present he is incapacitated, but more than that, I cannot say.

BYCROFT: Now that your investigation is complete, what further purpose does your commission serve, while in Seattle?

LYDECKER: Our current task is to prompt the resumption of negotiations between the leaders of Terminal City and the Mayor's office.

BYCROFT: How soon are you projecting these talks to resume?

LYDECKER: We would like to see them resume as soon as possible. I have made contact with the transgenic leadership. They have asked for several concessions to be made, before they are willing to reconvene.

BYCROFT: And those would be?

LYDECKER: At this time, they are asking for food and medical supplies, to sustain themselves while the negotiations take place.

(END TAPE)

------------------------------------------

ANCHOR: Today marks the fourth day of the renewed negotiations between the leaders of the transgenics and the Mayor's office. These meetings initially began nearly a month ago, at the start of the siege at Terminal City. They were later delayed following the attack that took place, just two weeks ago, outside the city's borders. With the assistance of a special government commission, and the support of the Seattle Police Department, talks were finally able to recommence and, our sources tell us, things have been progressing quickly, with each side working hard to reach a resolution.

Melissa Bycroft joins us now from Terminal City.

BYCROFT: The atmosphere outside of Terminal City is one filled with trepidation, as the transgenics await the return of a delegation of their leadership from the Mayor's office in this latest round of talks. Earlier today, I spoke with a member of this delegation, an X-5 transgenic that goes by the assumed name Max Guevera, to discuss the transgenic's expectations going into the negotiations.

(BEGIN TAPE)

BYCROFT: Miss Guevera.

MAX GUEVERA, X5 TRANSGENIC LEADERSHIP DELEGATION: Call me Max.

BYCROFT: Max, at this point in the negotiations, what kind of expectations do you have going forward?

GUEVERA: I expect to see results. Compromise. No one is happy with the situation, but we will only be able to reach a resolution if we're willing to work together.

BYCROFT: Yet, before you agreed to reenter negotiations after the attack outside the barricade, you demanded supplies for Terminal City.

GUEVERA: We have no desire to be a burden. Manticore was destroyed over a year ago and, up until the siege began, most of us were living in the city. We worked to support ourselves, like anyone else. We can't do that while behind the barricade. We're not asking for special favors, just food and supplies to sustain us, until we can provide for ourselves. That's all that we're asking for, really, the freedom to live. We're all capable; we were born and raised to be self-sufficient. But we need to be protected, need the law and the government behind us. We need to feel safe.

BYCROFT: Has the mood in Terminal City changed since the attack?

GUEVERA: Not really. We needed our freedom and safety before, and we need it now.

BYCROFT: What can you tell me about the transgenic who was injured?

GUEVERA: He's still...he's alive. He's alive.

(END TAPE)

_And...that's all she wrote. _

_Thank you, once again, for all your reviews and support. This was my first experience with fan fiction, and it was well worth it. It certainly helped me to get motivated about my writing again, and I adored the feedback. _

_At this time I have no plans for a sequel, but I'll keep the possibility on the table. Please let me know what you think. _


End file.
